Beauchamp House, Houston, TX (1987-1989)
Surrounded by a lush landscape along Buffalo Bayou, Houston’s waterway to the Gulf of Mexico, the 5,000 sq. ft. house is a mayor transformation of- and addition to- a pre-existing one story residence. The new design incorporates the original house’s foundations and perimeter walls to build a sequence of open spaces flowing freely from one to the other. The plan organization maximizes the views to the landscape while retaining ample wall space for displaying the owner’s art collection. Parallel axes oriented toward the bayou interconnect a series of singular volumes, some sculpted from the original structure, others added to create a cohesive whole. The most prominent of these spaces begins at the entry tower and terminates in an expansive living room suffused with north and east light. A prow-like staircase protrudes into the humid landscape and looks onto a wild ravine below.
