This Striking Addition in Austin is Defined by Clean, Discrete Geometry

Scroll to meet the winner of Andersen’s Bright Ideas Awards in the single family category, and see all the brilliant nominees here.

Architect Matt Fajkus encourages his clients to focus on three natural details whenever he’s planning a new project: solar orientation, breeze flow, and the preservation of shade trees. When an Austin family tasked him with updating their drab 1980s home, they agreed that focusing on these elements would elevate their property into the 21st century.

To make it happen, Fajkus proposed a stucco-clad, 950-square-foot addition that would open up to its verdant surroundings. "Daylight puts us in touch with the natural rhythm of the day, which is emotionally soothing," says Fajkus. "The compact nature of this project creates a direct connection to the human scale, using both side lighting and top lighting techniques in conjunction with a curated material palette."

Daylighting not only helps with building efficiency and performance, but it also creates a healthier indoor environment for the occupants. Inset, south-facing openings provide shading and mitigate heat, while serving as perfect perches for reading or admiring the scenery. 

"The depth and angled, framed views on the second level feel like pages of a story the inhabitants can rewrite each day," says Catherine Johnson, a principal of the LA–based architecture firm Design, Bitches, who recently reviewed the merits of the project as one of the judges for Andersen’s Bright Ideas Design Awards.