Cascading Creek House | Bercy Chen Studio
Austin / United States / 2011
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Cascading Creek House was conceived less as a house and more
as an extension and outgrowth of the limestone and aquifers of
the Central Texas geography. The roof structure is configured so
as to create a natural basin for the collection of rainwater, not
unlike the vernal pools found in the outcroppings of Enchanted
Rock. These basins harness additional natural flows through
the use of photovoltaic and solar hot-water panels. The water,
electricity and heat which are harvested on the roof tie into
an extensive climate conditioning system which utilizes water
source heat pumps and radiant loops to supply both the heating
and cooling for the residence. The climate system is connected
to geothermal ground loops as well as pools and water features
thereby establishing a system of heat exchange which minimizes
reliance on electricity or gas.
The primary formal gesture of the project inserts two long native
limestone walls into the site. The walls serve as the boundary
demarking domesticated space with the vegetation outbound
of these walls being native while the interior spaces are more
lush and tropical. The program of the residence is configured
along the stone walls each of which serves as the spine for the
public and private wings, respectively. The offset between the
main wings establishes an exterior courtyard which will serve
as an extended living space for much of the year. The siting of
the boundary walls and building elements was informed by the
presence and preservation of three mature native oaks.
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Cascading Creek House was conceived less as a house and more as an extension and outgrowth of the limestone and aquifers of the Central Texas geography. The roof structure is configured so as to create a natural basin for the collection of rainwater, not unlike the vernal pools found in the outcroppings of Enchanted Rock. These basins harness additional natural flows through the use of photovoltaic and solar hot-water panels. The water, electricity and heat which are harvested on the roof tie...
- Year 2011
- Status Completed works
- Type Single-family residence
- Websitehttp://bcarc.com/Project/cascading-creek-house
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