Cool, Calm, and Collected

The stately two-story—decidedly modern—house in the middle of an established River Oaks neighborhood succeeds where other modern houses might fail, or even worse, offend. Instead of standing out like a sore thumb, the off-white stucco residence looks right at home, its silhouette and upright straightforwardness a friendly tribute to the no-nonsense profiles of the Cape Cods, Greek Revivals, and Tudors nearby. The fact that the house both stands out and blends in was part of a well-thought-out plan conceived and executed by the homeowners, their architect, and their interior designer. But there is more than meets the eye in this cool-asa- cucumber dwelling. The homeowners admit that they had an “agenda” when it came to designing the perfect place for their family. From the earliest planning stages, living well topped their list of objectives—but their idea of “living well” involved more than just having a beautiful house. It also meant having a house that was built with renewable resources and was energy efficient to boot. “I wanted contemporary,” says one of the homeowners, “but I didn’t want off-the-charts modern.” As a real estate developer, he is very familiar with the nuances of architecture and design. He is also no stranger to being closely involved in construction projects from start to finish, and he enjoys the give-and-take that his profession demands. “I needed to reach a medium point that would allow the house to sit comfortably among mostly traditional styles in the neighborhood,” he notes. “But I also set a green agenda.” While he took the lead in researching what needed to be done to make the structure environmentally friendly, he relied on Eubanks Group Architects (EGA) to design an approach that not only utilized the renewable and energy-efficient resources he wanted but also made the house look like it belonged on the street. “Eubanks has done tremendous work in the River Oaks area, and they were receptive to doing something a little different from the traditional projects they are well known for. The chemistry was there,” says the homeowner. Michael Dreef, project manager at EGA, designed the simple facade—made dramatic by outsized windows and distinguished by a steel “eyebrow” that serves as a sun-shielding overhang at the front door. In addition, he tempered the modernity of the design with a few subtle gestures. “We put a little detail in the eaves, pitched the Berridge galvanized metal roof, and toned down the stucco by using a faint gray-green paint color to avoid a stark look,” he says. Inside, an interior path of circulation connects front to back. The living room, family room, and dining room are both interconnected and divided by a central staircase. Opposite the front door, a back door opens onto a pool and a bright blue concrete scrim and fountain. To the left of the entryway, a double-height living room is a grand space that seems even larger thanks to walls of two-story-high windows opening onto the front and back of the house. To the right of the hall, a dining room is set off from the more public family room and kitchen just beyond and offers privacy for dinner parties. Windows play an important role in this 6,000-square-foot house— both as an architectural detail and as a way to address energy efficiency. “The main component of a green design relies on maximizing sunlight to reduce electrical usage,” says the homeowner. A skylight in the hallway and walls of Kawneer aluminum windows mean that light floods into the house: “We never have to turn on the lights during the day,” he notes. But an environmentally unfriendly drawback of all that light pouring in—especially in hot and steamy Houston—is that temperatures can, and will, soar in the summer. To offset that inevitable eventuality, Dreef fitted the windows with low-E glass, cutting energy usage by as much as 40 percent.

Dreef and builder Yem Levy provided other climate interventions as well. A geothermal HVAC system has made the most difference in moderating interior temperatures. “It is one of the best energy-efficient measures we installed,” says Dreef. Also called a ground-source heat pump, the system uses the earth, instead of the air, as an exchange medium. Because the earth’s temperature is fairly constant—as opposed to the wild seasonal fluctuations of the outside air—it’s about twice as energy efficient because the air doesn’t have to be cooled down or heated up drastically before it’s introduced inside the house. Ground pumps have been around since the 1940s but are just now gaining popularity. “Building a responsible green house doesn’t necessarily require a premium in terms of cost,” says the homeowner. A number of sustainable resources, such as concrete and bamboo, are readily accessible. Another choice that seemed to be a throwback to the earlier days of home construction was the decision to use wood framing instead of the more fashionable steel framing or concrete-block construction. “We have soy-based insulation,” says the homeowner, “that becomes rigid when it’s installed and means that you don’t have to use as much framing. It’s very energy efficient.” The homeowners were also able to make environmentally conscious choices in their interior design, courtesy of their forward-thinking designer, Michele Allman. “Stained-concrete floors are a way to eliminate allergens and gases that are emitted from some rugs and carpets,” says Allman. Kitchen and other cabinetry is made from bamboo, selected for its clean, modern look and, more importantly, because it is a sustainable resource. “My clients also wanted their living space to be devoid of clutter,” says Allman. “And they wanted to encourage people to use the living areas for conversation and other family activities.” To foster meaningful interactions, Allman grouped furniture in a way that made family and friends want to sit down and chat. “Basically,” says Allman, “my clients asked for a contemporary look that was also approachable.” Color choices were intended to calm, not to distract. “The interiors are fairly monochromatic,” notes Allman. “We specifically relied on their art collection to provide colorful accents.” In the dining room, for instance, the color scheme goes beyond neutral, all the way to invisible: two 60-inch-square acrylic custom-made tables anchor the space. The see-through tables provide an ingenious solution to seating large groups without having the space look like a boardinghouse. “Each table seats eight,” says Allman. “The couple wanted the versatility to have a quiet, intimate dinner party or to open it up to larger groups.” The designer accented the barely there tables with luxe ivory leather-upholstered Christian Liagre chairs. The living room is furnished with modern classics: two cream leather Barcelona chairs by Knoll face a custom sofa upholstered in a textured Rogers and Goffigon linen. A Deco-inspired area rug completes the look. In the family room, Donghia “island” sofas get a pop of color from a green area rug and large black and white color-accented floor cushions that invite lounging in front of the television or just enjoying the view out to the pool. Positioned in the middle of the “L” formed by the footprint of the house, the pool provides both real pleasure and visual gratification. As the main view from living room and family room, it’s the aquatic equivalent of a Mondrian-esque shape—a blue rectangle that moderates the space between the bright blue wall fountain at one end and the big grid of windows on the other. It’s always available and easily accessible for a refreshing plunge—and it’s an ever-present reminder that life in Houston can be cool no matter how hot the weather gets.