bercy chen studio embeds edgeland house into the texan landscape

bercy chen studio has completed ‘edgeland house’, a residence in austin, texas, located on a rehabilitated brownfield site. the design reinterprets one of the country’s oldest architectural typologies — the native american pit house. typically sunken, the building takes advantage of the earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year. the residence’s relationship to the landscape both in terms of approach as well as building performance involves an insulating green roof and a seven‐foot excavation — raising awareness about a diminishing natural landscape and its finite resources by creating a balance between the surrounding industrial zone and the natural river residing on the opposite side of the site.

the house is located on a rehabilitated brownfield siteall images courtesy of bercy chen studio

both visually and functionally, bercy chen studio’s design touches on architecture as site‐specific installation art and as an extension of the landscape. the program is broken up into two separate pavilions, for the living and sleeping quarters, and requires direct contact with the outside elements to pass from one to the other. an insulative green roof benefits from the earth’s mass to help it stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. such an architectural setting presents an opportunity for maximum energy efficiency when combined with high performance systems such as the integrated hydronic HVAC system. see more architecture in texas on designboom here.

the design reinterprets one of the country’s oldest architectural typologies — the native american pit house

the building takes advantage of the earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year

the design touches on architecture as site‐specific installation art

the program is broken up into two separate pavilions, for the living and sleeping quarters

the configuration requires direct contact with the outside elements to pass from one to the other

‘edgeland house’ is situated in austin, texas

floor plan

north elevation

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