Mark Odom Studio’s newest residential design is situated in the older, established neighborhood of Allandale, Austin. Architect Mark Odom designed and built a new home on an existing 10,740 SqFt lot, using a timeless approach to the architecture and materials. Respecting the surrounding historic homes and neighborhood was taken into great consideration in the design and build process.
Project Name: Bull Creek Residence
Studio Name: Mark Odom Studio
“Existing homes in this older community are primarily single story craftsman houses that indicated a common scale of structure. We wanted to be sensitive to the single-story scale and create a two-story structure that was low profile without dominating the streetscape,” says Mark Odom, founding principal Mark Odom Studio.
With a diverse and lush landscape surrounding the home, the Bull Creek residence celebrates its context by respecting the neighborhood scale, setbacks, and existing live oak trees while providing a variety of exterior living areas. The space planning in and around the house, mixed with the common thread of materiality, gives a subtle but strategic difference between public and private space both within the home and around the site.
The heart of the design is the diversity of living spaces that each engage the surroundings differently. From the outdoor shower, special reading nook, and a light-filled courtyard, these various spaces can all be opened up to one another, creating a rich living experience throughout. The floating staircase was designed to filter the natural light through the steps and baluster as the light filters differently through the density of stair elements as well as color. Established trees in both the front and rear of the house as well as to the edge of a creek presented challenges that were made into opportunities for the homeowner. Providing shade and filtering natural light from all vantage points was a critical element to the project.
The kitchen, living, and dining were intended to be an open floor plan to maintain the visual connection throughout the home, while the individual spaces function independently as well as a part of the group.
“We wanted to maintain the connection of framed views and natural light throughout the entire home. All the rooms, including bathrooms, have an outside connection. The Primary Bath was a moment where we could create an indoor/outdoor shower that functioned well and maintained the intent of always being connected to nature,” says Mark Odom.
