Zaguán House - Murphy Mears Architects

Single-Family Residence | Houston, TX | 2012

| Houston AIA Design Awards 2014: Winner, Residential Architecture |

Open living-dining-kitchen with direct connections to the large back courtyard.

A new home for a young couple starting a family, the Zaguán House has been designed to provide a comfortable indoor-outdoor relationship. The 3,000-square-foot home is configured around a large back yard space, to which the interior spaces enjoy direct connections and views.

The open-air covered entry passageway, or zaguán, allows the prevailing breeze to flow through and keep the outdoor space cool in the hot and humid Houston climate. By orienting the building on the West side of the lot, the back yard stays shaded from the afternoon sun.

The main interior family space, an open living-dining-kitchen, flows out onto a raised terrace overlooking the outdoor space. The back wall of the kitchen area, visible from the dining and living spaces, is constructed as a custom grid of wall panels that conceal the refrigerator, storage and pantry. To keep the shared space balanced, the kitchen island and back counter, with a flat induction cooktop and downdraft hood, are designed to appear as pieces of furniture placed in the room rather than traditional kitchen cabinets.

Carefully aligned windows allow for passive cooling through cross-ventilation. Lighting, shading and air-conditioning systems are integrated into a whole-house control system, configured for easy operation by homeowners and guests.

On the second floor, the glass-walled master bedroom serves as a bridge between the two building masses. In the bedroom, concealed built-in pockets contain automated sheer and blackout shades that lower for privacy. The study can convert into a bedroom and bathroom when needed – ultimately creating five bedrooms and four bathrooms.

Exterior materials are long-life and low-maintenance. A continuous airspace has been provided behind the fiber-cement siding and wall panels that passively ventilates heat and moisture away from the building. In addition to the creation of a comfortable outdoor environment, durability and adaptability are essential considerations for the life and use of the home.

Design Team:
• Architecture: Murphy Mears Architects + Wm. T. Cannady, FAIA
• Landscape Design: Carlisle Becker

Passive back yard cooling with prevailing breeze flowing through the central open covered entry.

Dining table, kitchen island and back counter along the central axis of the open living-dining-kitchen, with a wall-grid responsive to integrated components.

Central open covered entry beneath the master bedroom bridge, between the two-story building masses.

Section through the covered entry, raised terrace, and floating master bedroom.

Open covered entry, beneath the master bedroom bridge floating between two main building masses.

Open covered front entry beneath the floating master bedroom bridge.

Cross ventilation through first and second floor areas.

Raised terrace with integrated benches extending from beneath the covered entry, with direct access into the open living-dining-kitchen.

Hidden door within the kitchen wall panels provides access to pantry storage beyond.

Circulation routes accessible on each side, and the stair rises behind, the end wall of the open living room.

Open wood stair treads, with the passage to the A/V area visible below the intermediate stair landing.

Back courtyard, viewed through the South master bedroom window wall.

Path through the master bath and bedroom, overlooking the open back courtyard and the main 2-story wing.

Sheer and blackout roller shades raised into concealed pockets for North and South views from the master bedroom.

Raised terrace accessible through sliding glass doors from the open living-dining-kitchen.

Site plan within the suburban neighborhood context.

Open-joint rain-screen facade, with large panel accents, aligned with neighboring homes along the suburban street within the city.