28.10.2025
Hillside Residence
The owners of the Hillside residence were drawn to this property because it had a similar character to the pedestrian-oriented urban neighborhood of their native Toronto. This quiet tree-lined residential street is just a few blocks from the shops and restaurants along Austin’s South Congress Avenue.
A small gabled mass located in the front of the property draws on the scale of the 1940’s bungalow to the south of the property, contrasting with the massive newer home to the north. The carport and guest suite burrow into the sloping site, reducing the visual scale of the building and hiding the cars from view.
The covered front porch invites entry, and from there the house unfolds uphill to take best advantage of a challenging wedge-shaped lot. The house takes on the tapering geometry of the property, creating a forced perspective that plays interesting tricks with perceived distances. Intersecting volumes create unique spatial qualities that pull you through the house, from the front porch to the private yard at the rear. The outdoor spaces are strategically located to minimize the presence of neighboring homes and offer unexpectedly long sightlines back to the front of the house.
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