Lake|Flato Designs a Texas Home Protected Against Floodwaters and Prying Eyes

Designing a home in Bellaire, Texas—a city ravaged by Hurricane Harvey in August 2017—isn’t like designing a home for other parts of America. When faced with that challenge, Austin-based firm Lake|Flato knew its design would have to be ready for the worst. “The Bellaire section of Houston is very flat,” architect Ted Flato tells Metropolis, “so stormwater runoff from the roofs and the land were critically important in the design of this house.” Moreover, when planning this family home, the firm would also have to address privacy concerns, as the narrow site features neighbors close by on two sides.

To tackle future floodwaters, Lake|Flato elevated the design three feet above the ground. The U-shaped residence wraps around a similarly-elevated courtyard, creating a secluded outdoor retreat. “The narrow lot already suggested the arrangement of the house,” Flato told Metropolis. “Use the rooms of the house to edit out the neighbors with a central private courtyard and contrast this more intimate heart with expansive garden rooms.”

The need for privacy also dictated the exterior treatment of the residence’s two volumes. One section—a two-story wood-framed pavilion that holds the bedrooms—is covered in stucco while a steel-and-glass volume contains the living and dining areas. The two sections are connected by an airy glass bridge that also serves as an office overlooking the courtyard. “The material and construction systems were a response to the function of the rooms,” said Flato. “The private elements of the house are located in the more solid [volume], and the public rooms, kitchen and living are skinned in glass and steel so that they can enjoy a seamless connection with the outdoors.”