Custom dining room fireplace surround featuring authentic Moroccan zellige tiles. The fireplace is accented by a custom bench seat for the dining room. The surround expands to the wall to create a step which creates the new location for a home bar.

A visual artist and his fiancée’s house and studio were designed with various themes in mind, such as the physical context, client needs, security, and a limited budget. Six options were analyzed during the schematic design stage to control the wind from the northeast, sunlight, light quality, cost, energy, and specific operating expenses. By using design performance tools and technologies such as Fluid Dynamics, Energy Consumption Analysis, Material Life Cycle Assessment, and Climate Analysis, sustainable strategies were identified. The building is self-sufficient and will provide the site with an aquifer recharge that does not currently exist. The main masses are distributed around a courtyard, creating a moderately open construction towards the interior and closed to the outside. The courtyard contains a Huizache tree, surrounded by a water mirror that refreshes and forms a central part of the courtyard. The house comprises three main volumes, each oriented at different angles to highlight different views for each area. The patio is the primary circulation stratagem, providing a refuge from the wind, a connection to the sky, and a night sky observatory. We aim to establish a deep relationship with the site by including the open space of the patio.

Custom dining room fireplace surround featuring authentic Moroccan zellige tiles. The fireplace is accented by a custom bench seat for the dining room. The surround expands to the wall to create a step which creates the new location for a home bar.