A new enclave of modern estates called Five aims to raise the bar for modern living in Austin, … [+]
An architecturally striking, gated complex of five homes sits on a five-and-a-half-acre site just west of Austin, Texas. Located in an upscale neighborhood West Lake Hillsfive-bedroom homes cost between $12.5 million and $18 million and offer approximately 6,700 to nearly 10,000 square feet of living space.
Described as a “private collective,” the five glass-rich contemporary residences, each set on approximately one acre of land, are arranged so that the homes feel like they “belong together,” the designers say of the project. The orientation, sightlines, landscaping and partitions of each home are positioned so that the structures appear to interact – or even oppose one another – without sacrificing privacy.
Five-bedroom homes cost between $12.5 million and $18 million and range in size from approximately … [+]
The complex presents a rare and thoughtful synergy for what could be just another seamless gated community.
“There’s really nothing like this in Austin,” says Houston founder Francisco Uzcategui. Unicus, a residential design-build firm behind the project. “It is rare to be able to design a set of houses in five subdivided lots. »
Five, as Uzcategui modestly calls the project, work began at the end of 2021. The first house will be completed in November and the second in December. Another will be completed in April 2024 and the last two in early 2025. Eric Moreland of Moreland Properties holds the list.
The houses were designed by architect David Curiel, founder of Curiel Arquitectos.
A 6-foot-high travertine wall, bisected by a gate, lines the front of the development. Just beyond, the houses are arranged in a U around a wide avenue lined with trees. Entrances, courtyards, gardens and views from rooms are oriented, some juxtaposed to each other, to ensure balance and symmetry. From the air, the development looks like five giant puzzle pieces that form a cohesive whole.
“We are not building these homes just to maximize the beauty and value of each individual home, but to increase the collective of the five homes as a whole,” says Uzcategui. All homes have swimming pools, gyms and garages for three or four cars. Two of the homes feature walk-in wine cellars and the others include wine storage.
The houses were designed by architect David Curiel, founder of Curiel Architectslaunched in 2011. The company, with offices in Mexico and Texas, has more than 40 architects, engineers and interior and furniture designers, among others.
Curiel shows houses no. 1 and 2, which face each other to the left of the gate. “We placed a garden and patios in between, so we create green spaces to control the view,” he explains. “We use stone walls and greenery covering the stucco walls throughout the project, which helps blend the lines between the homes.”
Each of the unique designs offers a play of materials, textures and colors. House No. 4, … [+]
House No. 2 presents a modernist assemblage of forms clad in Mexican limestone. The creamy white to slightly gray facade is accented by overhangs whose underside is covered in stucco applied with a brown adobe finish, a process that integrates color into the material. The robust brown can be almost black in low light conditions. Reddish tones appear under brighter light.
This play of materials and colors, interspersed with skylights and walls of windows, gives a studied but calming appearance. The structure is bordered by a terraced landscape leading to the entrance.
The stark black bar provides visual contrast next to the cream-hued lounge.
“Part of the inspiration for the home came from viewing older homes in Los Angeles,” Curiel says of the 9,010-square-foot residence. “So the house has more of a mid-century vibe.”
Curiel says many homeowners are never able to truly appreciate their home from the inside because of the outward-facing architecture. Instead, Curiel folds his houses in on themselves.
“We achieve this through layering, arrangement and orientation of pieces,” he explains. “So if you’re in the dining room, you see your covered patio, the landscape, your pool, your side of the house. You appreciate the stone you have chosen, its color.
Careful placement of glass walls, often used in hallways, also allows homeowners to visualize the extent of their property. “You receive light from both sides and you feel the immensity of the terrain.” » said Curiel. “I think a lot of designers think about the walls first and then put windows on them. My strategy is to create glass walls from the start.
With an area of 8,275 square feet, House No. 3 has facing the wings which embrace a vast courtyard. The space is anchored by an oak tree approximately 130 years old, whose canopy reaches 40 feet. A swimming pool lies just beyond.
The orientation, sightlines, landscaping and partitions of each house were designed to interact with the … [+]
The U-shaped courtyard “allows you to enjoy your own home from different points of the house,” says Uzcategui. The courtyard was designed around the existing heritage tree, which was moved 10 feet for better placement.
“Moving the tree took us about six months and cost $189,000,” Uzcategui says. “We also planted more than 35 mature oak trees brought in from off-site to create these beautiful reference points throughout the property.” The oak trees are 14 to 20 years old and 25 to 30 feet tall, which helps increase privacy.
Marble imported from Mexico covers the facade of No. 3 with polished and acid-washed finishes. Both textures add additional appeal and interest to the home, which will be completed in December. “And we invite that same material inside on some walls, which makes the outside look like it’s flowing in,” adds Uzcategui. “It provides a lot of warmth.”
A warm palette of cream and tan gives House No. 4 a relaxed and calming feel.
No. 3 has a stately appearance with its heavy use of marble, but its interiors are relaxed and even welcoming, partly done with a warm palette of cream and tan. The floors and kitchen cabinets are Bardolino gray oak, a sawn wood with a vintage look.
House No. 4, scheduled for completion in November, is clad in limestone from the Austin area. “When we started digging, we discovered that the soil was made of a very heavy and resistant limestone,” explains Uzcategui. “So we took inspiration from that for the facade of the house.”
An expansive overhang that spans the front of the 7,961-square-foot home helps deflect the Texas heat. This structure also accentuates an eye-catching 24-by-10-foot brass front door, topped with a smaller overhang.
On one side of the house is a spectacular two-story structure clad in stucco with a dark brown adobe finish. The ultra-modern wing is lined with large windows and seems incongruous with the rest of the house. Uzcategui describes the volume as “museographic,” an architectural intervention that joyfully intrudes, moving away from the main building. stone facade.
Five is six miles west of downtown Austin and a 12-minute drive from Barton Creek Habitat … [+]
House #1, which has been sold and will be completed in April 2024, is the smallest of the five at 6,682 square feet. House No. 5, an L-shaped structure clad in dark Italian brick, is the largest at 9,870 square feet. “It was the most fun to design, partly because it has the most glass walls,” says Curiel. The home features a cabin and an “eco” green roof with stunning views of the Texas Hill Country.
Five is six miles west of downtown Austin and a 12-minute drive to the 4,000-acre Barton Creek Habitat Reserve, which has many hiking trails. The complex is in the Eanes Independent School District, which was recently classified 10th best school district in the country.
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