MY DREAM HOUSE: February 2022


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A Concrete Home Design That's Skillfully Secluded From The City

A far-reaching water feature flows through Preston Hollow House, where it washes away the borders between inside and out. The slender stream trickles through the home, interrupted only by terrace walkways and a soothing waterfall beside the entryway, before concluding at a large swimming pool. Designed by Specht Architects, this 8826 square foot home in Dallas, United States, also features a remarkable floating pavilion roof design. The flat canopy appears to levitate weightlessly over the main living spaces and peripheral terraces. Corrugated concrete walls solidly shield the residence from the busy street, making nearby houses imperceivable. Sliding glass panels create open, light-filled rooms with wide views of plant-filled courtyards.

The principal architect, Scott Specht, reflects: "The concrete walls were cast using custom formwork that creates a corrugated appearance on one side while remaining smooth on the other. Unlike the brutalist architecture of the 1960s, however, the monolithic walls are countered by delicate steel columns, frameless windows, and flowing water."

A great monolithic bulk of concrete reflects in the swimming pool waters, visually doubling its impressive size.

Grassed terraces cascade down the sloped site, which creates wide, flat areas for entertaining and games.

A gentle waterfall makes a welcoming, ambient sound at the front entrance. The attractive feature makes an instant introduction to the water theme that flows throughout the property.

Fenestration is directed toward the private gardens, creating green vistas for the spaces within.

Inside a grey living room, corrugated concrete texture is translated into a statement chimney breast. A curved sofa design softens the linearity of the modern fireplace design. Rounded lounge chairs complement the sofa's soft silhouette.

Two mid century modern chairs mark out a second, separate seating area upon the large area rug. Two modern coffee tables bridge the gap between them, offering a spacious landing spot for a multitude of enticing coffee table books.

At the back of the large living room, a glass dining table lightly completes the layout.

We pass through an open doorway into the kitchen diner. In this space, Piet Mondrian inspired dining room decor offers a colourful approach in blocks of red, blue and yellow. Unique dining chandeliers fire colour coordinated accents across the ceiling line.

Three swivel bar stools make up a breakfast area at the kitchen island.

Platner armchairs, designed by Warren Platner for Knoll, and a matching side table make up a stylish reading nook.

Edge-to-edge glass doors maximise views of a tree-lined courtyard.

The tree line marches downhill toward the surrounding thicket.

In this bedroom design, the wide window view is aimed directly into the grove. A couple of lounge chairs pull up around a modern fireplace, where a soft cream rug lays cosy texture underfoot.

The bathroom offers a spa-like experience, with sleek furnishings and fabulous nature views. A sunken bathtub dips low to leave the calming green panorama uninterrupted.

A wide courtyard benefits from interaction with the water feature that uniquely characterises this home. The stream is fitted with underwater lights, which cast water patterns upon the corrugated concrete walls at night.

Continuous glass walls encase the courtyard design, creating an expansive visual that reaches into the depth of the surrounding rooms.

Colourful modern art decorates a pure white walkway.

The narrow water channel forms a continuous connection from the entry courtyard to the rear garden terrace.

The floating pavilion roof provides shade over the terraces.

Whilst the corrugated concrete walls give the architecture a brutalist hint, the lightweight roof aesthetic and slender support columns conjure elegance.

Lush planted borders feather the edges of the linear home architecture.

A sweeping driveway leads up through the trees.

Retractable walls link a kitchen and dining area with spacious multilevel terraces, which are navigated with wide concrete steps. An outdoor dining area sets out an invitation for relaxed al fresco lunches in the sunshine, whilst a fire pit waits on hand for chilly evenings of conversation and laughter with friends. An outdoor ping-pong table encourages playtime for the kids and adults alike.

The corrugated concrete treatment encases the linear home in interesting pattern, which sets it apart from the graceful curves of the native landscape.

Ground floor bedrooms feel comfortingly bedded into Mother Nature. In the bedroom suite we see here, a feature headboard is channel tufted to complement the outer corrugated concrete walls. Vertical wall lights brightly highlight the statement piece.

The narrow water channel that runs through the home finally concludes at the outdoor swimming pool. A floating concrete stepping stone passes over the stream to join two neighbouring terrace areas.

The main living space stretches out behind the pool area in a slightly elevated position that maximises the view. The great glass doors of the living room open up to adjoin the lounge and dining spaces with the pool patio, via a short set of concrete steps.

Exterior uplights showcase neat tree borders after dark.

On the site plan, we can see that driveways lead through the grove in two directions, offering easy entry and access points. From this birdseye view, it is also possible to follow the line of the water that defines this property from front to back.

The floor plan illustrates how the home is shaped into pockets that conserve the privacy of the homeowners and their outdoor spaces. Even the entry courtyard is tucked around a corner out of plain sight from the driveway.

Recommended Reading: Brutalist Concrete & Wood Home Design (With Floor Plans)

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