Volente Residence

The Volente Lake House was designed to minimize disturbance to the site while maximizing use of recycled material. The steel and glass house floats above salvaged concrete block walls & foundation of an existing house to connect with the vistas of Lake Travis.

The new two-story structure hovers lightly, supported by only four 8-inch diameter steel columns and one single concrete pier. The structure is tied back to the slope by an 80’ long entry bridge. The chevron shaped geometry of the plan help optimize views of the lake.

The bridge creates an axis that penetrates through the house and serves as a divider between private and public space of the house. The axis culminates in a dramatic cantilevered jette/lookout point toward the lake.

This project required great skill & care of the steel contractor maneuvering 50’ beams between mature live oak trees on site.
The cantilevering volume of the main living room towards the lake held on the single concrete support pays homage to Lautner’s Chemosphere House in LA.

Circulation is organized around a central spiral stair in the three-story open lobby space. A sculptor’s mechanical lift is installed at the top of the stair for moving objects in the house. A view from the jette back toward the house reveals that the glazing is intentionally set in front of the structure to hide thickness of the roof and walls.

Project name Volente Residence

Typology Single-family residence

Location Volente, Texas

Year 2009

Status Built

Design Team Thomas Bercy, Calvin Chen