The clients for this residential project wanted an “open” plan without the concept of rooms and a space that flowed freely from the inside to the outside.

The design for the Price/Martinez Residence is a simple shed roof structure created by a series of inverted roof trusses. The trusses are lifted up toward the east, allowing the ceiling to reflect a soft light into the space. From the master bedroom, the trusses frame a dramatic view of downtown Houston.

The mass of the house is placed on the western half of the site to provide afternoon shade for the rock garden and deck areas placed to the east. A long glass wall opens toward the southeast creating the sense of a single space flowing from inside to the deck and rock garden, with the Houston skyline forming the backdrop. Along the edge of the house, a series of steel columns perpendicular to the roof recall the angle of an existing sycamore tree.

The house is designed to reflect the vicinity of the site. The exposed trusses and galvanized metal siding pay homage to Houston’s historic warehouse district. Stucco and wood siding on the east side echo the materials used in the single family cottages around the neighborhood.

"People are amazed when we tell them how smooth it was to design and build our home. We had heard so many horror stories. Working with MC2 was nothing like that. It was a pleasure to work with them."