Residential - Completed
Alley House
The Alley House began as a collection of neighbors with a shared vision, spearheaded by our client, to create a series of secondary dwelling units facing an existing alley in central Austin. The overarching idea was to bring a succession of these secondary units, five in a row, with the shared goal of activating the alley and infusing it with life. The current experience was that of 8-foot-tall fences along the alley, segregating any activities between the rear yards and the alley itself. Our client had a vision to break down these visual barriers and foster a secondary level of community engagement in the neighborhood.
The original format was that of an architectural competition. Our client gathered all of the neighbors and selected 3 architecture firms to provide a schematic presentation of ideas for the comprehensive project. Faye + Walker was selected and we set to work on two of the 5 ADUs shortly thereafter. In the end, only two of the projects were initiated, and ultimately, only the Alley House was completed.
Over time the program shifted a bit. For example, a single car garage that was initially slated to house a kiln for my client's clay studio, it in fact became a single car garage for a vintage Porsche. On the ground floor level, what was going to become an office for a staging company became an office, painting studio and listening room for the client. The upper level, always designed to provide an autonomous living space for rent, remained as originally conceived.
Now the garage has become an additional living space, and our client now has a pied-a-tere in Austin, having moved pretty much full time to the Pacific Northwest.
The unusual formal response of the building is a response to development restrictions along the alley, creating a dynamic façade and a prominent steel stair. Generous glazing provides the connection to the alley our client originally desired. The lower level office has a direct connection to the rear yard through a large sliding door. A gap in the building on the lower level provides access from the alley to the other buildings on the property.
The original format was that of an architectural competition. Our client gathered all of the neighbors and selected 3 architecture firms to provide a schematic presentation of ideas for the comprehensive project. Faye + Walker was selected and we set to work on two of the 5 ADUs shortly thereafter. In the end, only two of the projects were initiated, and ultimately, only the Alley House was completed.
Over time the program shifted a bit. For example, a single car garage that was initially slated to house a kiln for my client's clay studio, it in fact became a single car garage for a vintage Porsche. On the ground floor level, what was going to become an office for a staging company became an office, painting studio and listening room for the client. The upper level, always designed to provide an autonomous living space for rent, remained as originally conceived.
Now the garage has become an additional living space, and our client now has a pied-a-tere in Austin, having moved pretty much full time to the Pacific Northwest.
The unusual formal response of the building is a response to development restrictions along the alley, creating a dynamic façade and a prominent steel stair. Generous glazing provides the connection to the alley our client originally desired. The lower level office has a direct connection to the rear yard through a large sliding door. A gap in the building on the lower level provides access from the alley to the other buildings on the property.
