Kirby Drive Residence

Houston, TX 2010

Located on Kirby Drive, in a section of River Oaks that maintains much of its pre-WWII character, this Georgian-style home is no exception. Originally built in 1937 by the William C. Farrington Company for Claud B. Barrett, CEO of Texaco and prominent member in the Houston Community, the footprint of the home is largely original with the exception of a small addition in the 1960s. The Barrett House received City of Houston Landmark Designation in 2007.

After their purchase in 1998, the current owners, a young family of five, wanted to update the home in such a way that would preserve and enhance its historic presence in the neighborhood, support the family’s lifestyle and aesthetic, and improve overall energy performance of the house. Two phases of renovations to the main house by Natalye Appel + Associates Architects, completed in 2000 and 2010, have allowed the family to grow and evolve while maximizing sustainability and energy savings. No change has been made to the footprint of the house, allowing it to maintain its historic character, while material upgrades such as new roofing and copper downspouts have added a finish quality appropriate to the stature of the original house.