Residential
Banks St. House
Project Information
With the Banks Street House, built for a couple whose children had left home, we explored the dual nature of having the freedom of an empty nest and wanting the privacy and communality of a welcoming home base. The project, which explores life in two parts, also addresses how to expand the spatial experience of the typical suburban building lot.
The Banks Street House’s two-volume organization maximizes the spatial experience of a 3,000-square-foot residence and defines distinct living areas, indoors and out, with separate views. The volumes, which run perpendicular to one another, are connected by a narrow, L-shaped circulation element, so that parents and kids can inhabit the house both as a unit and as individuals.
An open living room/dining/kitchen area fosters shared family experiences, and the Texas sun is harnessed – and tempered – through skylights. North-facing, full-height windows extend the interior living spaces to the exterior, while low and high horizontal windows give glimpses of the spaces merely hinted at beyond.
Project Images
Process Images
Project Details
- Place Houston, TX
- Date 1998
- Area 3,200 SF
- Architect Francois de Menil Architect, PC
- Structural Engineer Matrix Structural Engineers
- MEP Engineer By Contractor
- Landscape Architect Francois de Menil Architect, PC