The house is located in an area of the high Texas Hill Country called Mountain Home, settled by large ranches, like the historic YO Ranch, and small farms.
I've always been fascinated by the local agrarian structures -- cotton gins, barns, feed mills, grain elevators, and silos. The context of farming and ranching lead us to explore the vocabulary of this local vernacular architecture -- abstract silo shapes, corrugated steel roofs and siding, steel pipe and wire, agrarian light fixtures, barn vents, chimney flues, hip roof shapes, and local stone. The result is a house that is a modern homage to the historic architecture of the area.
This house experiments with the way a user experiences the space within a house. A traditional floor plan bundles the rooms into a rectangular package. This project splits up the rooms into distinct elements, and each has four walls that can engage with the outdoors. The separated rooms are each tied together at opposite corners to form alternating spaces along a central circulation spine. The flow of space and the way one experiences it as one moves through the house is very different from that of a traditional house.
Silos House
Conceptual sketch that explains the idea of separating the different functions/rooms of a traditional floor plan and organizing them along a linear circulation spine to create a unique way of spatially experiencing a house. One of the benefits is that every wall of every room opens to the outdoors. The pattern of alternating rooms creates outdoor spaces that form patios, porches, and decks. See floor plans.
Silos House
Every room is separate, yet connected to the others at their corners to create a circulation spine. As you walk from one end of the house to the other, you experience a sequence of rooms that alternate from your left to your right. All four walls of each opens to the outdoors. The alternating organization of rooms creates outdoor spaces in the form of patios, porches, and decks.
Silos House
We used a chipboard model to better visualize the forms of the house. Many architects (myself included) use computer generated renderings and 3D models, but making a simple, physical model that you can hold in your hands, put your eye up to it, and view it from different angles is much more satisfying than looking at a computer screen. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara
Silos House
Great care was taken to preserve existing live oak trees and native plants on the site. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Rear of the house. Construction is nearly finished. Landscaping comes next. Oscar belongs to a herd of goats that has the run of the ranch. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Exterior detail of lighting, window canopies, and the two types of corrugated steel siding -- Galvalume and Corten (weathering) fiinsh). Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Circulation spine from foyer area looking toward kitchen at the far end. To the left is the Living Room, and beyond that to the right is the Dining Room. Each room is painted a different color. The glass and aluminum overhead door slides straight up into the ceiling and opens onto a covered porch. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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We used "vaportight" lights, a type of industrial safety light. Its practical and elegant design is a favorite of architects. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Existing live oak trees, juniper, and native grasses on the site were preserved. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Garage/Guest House nearing completion. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Garage end of the Guest House. The angled roof indicates a sloped garage ceiling that allows hot air to collect and flow out through the slot vent above. Construction is nearly finished. Landscaping and hardscaping are next. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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This shower has exposed copper water pipes. The ring is for the shower curtain. The shower base is a 4'-diameter galvanized steel horse trough. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Stairs in the Guest House lead to the upstairs bedroom suite. Floors are sealed concrete. Photo: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Guest House sports an upper deck with long views to the north. A group of trees and native foliage separate the guest house from the main house. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Nearing the end of construction. Ground floor decks and upper deck railings are yet to be installed,
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Looking down to the foyer. The railings are constructed of stainless steel cables and Galvalume steel pipe with industrial fittings. Walnut floors. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
Silos House
Two-story height Living Room with wood-burning fireplace and walnut flooring. The fireplace surround is a sheet of 1/4"-thick plate steel. A rectangle the size of the firebox was cut out the center. The steel was sprayed with muratic acid to create patterns of rust. After the acid etches the steel, it is thoroughly washed off, dried in the sun, and sealed with a clear matte finish. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Closeup of the steel fireplace surround. Notice the various tones and effects of randomly spraying muratic acid on the steel plate. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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This is a private reading nook with a hidden entrance. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Master bath. Notice how the windows on each tower are on the same axis. From this window one can literally see all the way through house to the window at the other end. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Two-story foyer space. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Pantry/Laundry/Mud room, looking through an antique screen door into the kitchen beyond. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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On nice days, the glass and aluminum overhead door can be raised to open the kitchen to the exterior deck and fresh breezes. The Pantry is beyond the doorway. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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The copper Kitchen counter was hammered by hand. A propane torch was then run over the surface to heat the copper and bring out different tones. When finished, it was sealed with a protective semi-gloss clear finish. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Kitchen flows into the Dining Room beyond. The glass and aluminum overhead door opens to outdoor dining. The window overlooks a small court. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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The painter adding finishing touches to the fireplace flue anchor brackets. PHOTO Ignacio Salas-Humara
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Every rooftop sports a barn vent, used as a design element in the overall composition of the Main and Guest houses. Roofs are corrugated Corten (weathering) steel. Siding is corrugated Galvalume steel. PHOTO: Ignacio Salas-Humara