This $1.1M "Floating" Houston Home Was Inspired by a Nearby Freeway

Location: 3308 St Emanuel Street, Houston, Texas

Price: $1,100,000

Year Built: 2008

Architect: Ronnie Self

Footprint: 1,856 square feet (2 bedrooms, 1 bath) 

Lot Size: 0.16 Acres 

From the Agent: "The Saint Emanuel House has become an iconic symbol of Houston’s bustling Third Ward. Architect Ronnie Self designed the home to celebrate the relationship between architecture, nature, and urban life. The home mediates between two contrasting environments—an urban downtown skyline and a traditional residential neighborhood. Its elevated design and use of concrete walls and columns allow it to interact with both the freeway and the more serene neighborhood with sensitivity. The area beneath doubles as an outdoor living space, a welcome reprieve from Houston’s summers! The cantilevered slab references nearby elevated freeway ramps, creating a sense of continuity with the surrounding infrastructure while establishing a sense of place within a larger urban context. The interior offers floor-to-ceiling views of downtown, while the bedrooms are oriented toward the expansive garden of native plantings. You will love the panoramic views from the roof deck!"

The home sits off Interstate 69 in Houston’s third ward, bordering a residential neighborhood. TK Images for Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty