Riverside Lake House
Awards: 1st Place | 2023 PaperCity Houston Design Awards
Date: Designed 2019 | Completed 2022
Size: Site 107 Acres | House 2,600 SF
Status: Complete
Location: Riverside | TX
The RIVERSIDE Lake House sits on the edge of a private, crystal clear, limestone quarry lake. To reduce size and impact, an existing structure was re-purposed as guest quarters allowing the new pavilion to be located on a rock outcropping at the water’s edge. Water level in the spring fed lake is controlled by a spillway eliminating flood risk and allowing the house to be pushed over the lake, leaving some flat ground for parking and a dog play space. The foundation cantilevers over the water by four feet and combines with both a fixed deck and floating dock to enhance the connection to the water and landscape. Numerous sliding glass doors open onto expansive covered deck spaces for natural ventilation and allow for fishing / jumping into the lake directly from the house.
The 107-acre property insures privacy and seclusion in the natural landscape even with an exterior of 75% Glass. A functional core is clad with recycled, vertically set, masonry which protrudes out of the glass box on the land side. Principal rooms are located around the perimeter and bridge across the core for efficient use of circulation space. A soaring hybrid butterfly roofline with deep overhangs provides protection and shading while opening up to spectacular views. The Owner self-contracted the project and finished many of the details with the Architect’s assistance through the pandemic. An exceptionally efficient building envelope, combined with a geothermal heat pump, LED Lighting, and reclaimed hot water help to keep energy usage/costs low.
Photography by Joe Aker, Michael Hart, & James Evans | Video for Western Windows by Michael Hart | Published in Residential Design magazine
“I love almost everything about this house — it is a water bird about to take flight, from the way it hovers above the lake to the flared-wing roof. It is a house light on the landscape, figuratively and literally. Its effortless consideration of the environment proves that a building can be beautiful while respecting natural resources. Pushing the rooms out to the perimeter affords every room a spectacular view, while making efficient use of service space. The limited color palette is appropriate to its surroundings. The play of the curved interior walls against the curtain wall is wonderful. I love the porch as dock. I could keep going. This house hits it out of the parkland.” — Thomas Kligerman, Juror for PaperCity Design Awards
“Simply put, stunning! A beautiful collaboration of man and nature. Thoughtfully sited, the openable window walls allow the house to breathe, creating an effortless movement inside and out. The refined detailing and use of materials speak to a place for reflection and solitude.” — Eric J. Smith, Juror for PaperCity Design Awards
