West of Austin lies the Coves on Lake Travis, with rolling hills and magnificent lake views. The owners wanted an interpretation of the Texas Ranch home that afforded casual interaction between outside/inside spaces—allowing for an active, healthy lifestyle while maintaining their privacy. The site restrictions required the house to be worked around trees with detailed landscaping, and be constructed of regional materials. And ultimately, the home was to be sustainable, highly energy efficient, and provide a healthy living environment.

To address privacy, topography/orientation, and tree groupings, the home was separated into four distinct pieces—Main Living Room, Recreational/Bedrooms, Garage, and Master Suite. This separation combined with changes in exterior/interior materials gives each area its own distinctive personality. The four distinct pieces afford maximum integration into the landscape losing minimal trees while letting each space have wonderful access to the lake breezes, views, and the outside. Deep overhangs, screened porches, true venting cupolas, concrete floors, and regional/recycled material contribute to sustainability and energy efficiency. Careful site placement allows the home, and it's screened porch to capture the prevailing breezes. Passive solar design principles keep it naturally warm in the winter and very comfortable on all but the hottest of the Texas summer days.

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