Balinskas House

Houston, TX   1992

In Houston's West End, two metal sheds, each 20' wide and based on 8' structural bays, are staggered to form distinct outdoor spaces that take advantage of the site's rural quality. The pecan-shaded entry court with its antique mesquite hacienda gates is the focus of the living wing. The bedroom wing, with its wide sitting gallery, opens to the morning light of the sideyard. Entry is through a skylit, transparent space which links the two wings and visually connects interior to exterior. Vernacular building materials - concrete block, metal siding, wood trusses, and concrete slab - provide warmth and scale without added decoration.

Photography: Hester + Hardaway

Houston Chapter AIA
HONOR AWARD, 1995

Texas Society of Architects
HONOR AWARD, 1994

Rice Design Alliance
Home Tour, 1994