Location: Austin, Texas

Completed: 2023

Design Team: Troy Miller, Dawson Williams, Maanasa Nathan, Philip Keil

Contractor: Crowell Builders

Structural Engineer: Duffy Engineering

Landscape Design: Word + Carr Design Group

Lighting Design: Studio Lumina

Photographer: Leonid Furmansky

Nestled just across the water from a nature preserve, this project sits just minutes from downtown Austin. At the bottom of a bluff, fifty feet below the surrounding neighborhood, it is sheltered by large trees along the secluded waterway that is only navigable by canoes and kayaks.  Reaching the site is a journey descending an extensive staircase passing through a natural stone grotto down into the wetland habitat. Abundant wildlife and natural beauty create an oasis where the owners can escape the stresses of their day to day lives.

Conceived as an elevated platform to allow the owners to inhabit nature.  The platform floats over the water providing views into the trees and down the slough, while the screened porch provides a protected space for lounging and birdwatching, while area below the platform serves as a boat launch and provides access to the shoreline.

To reduce the impact of the structure on the environmentally sensitive site, eight of twelve original piles from an existing structure damaged by floods were repurposed, extended vertically, and connected to create a flood resistant superstructure that suspends the deck out of harm’s way in the tree canopy.

Recognition:

Residential Design Architecture Awards 2024, Custom Outdoor Living Design Citation Award