A Good Neighbor - LeanToo Awarded 2021 AIA National Housing Award
May 19, 2021
Photo by Casey Dunn
The AIA Housing Awards emphasize good housing as a necessity of life, a sanctuary for the human spirit, and a valuable national resource. Recipients show the world how beauty, safety, sustainability, and comfort can come together. Link to full article
"This home is a good neighbor," noted the jury. "It responds to the size constraints of the site without overwhelming or overdeveloping it and respects the livability of the community. This is a modest single-family home with an interesting design and good energy performance."
The home is located in South Austin in an artistic neighborhood replete with century-old trees, wooden bungalows and cottages, and avian pathways. For this renovation and addition, the team honored the original home's historical importance while providing thoughtful growth. The original structure is painted white both inside and out to highlight its natural materials, such as lightly stained strip oak flooring.
Photo by Casey Dunn
The team retained the room layout and details of the original house, and it meets the frameless glazing of the addition along its raindrop wood siding. A transition between new and old happens where the ceiling rises. It reveals the tree canopy and light, which illuminates honed soapstone countertops and a steel plate island box inspired by minimalist artist Donald Judd's works.
Photo by Casey Dunn