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burlesondesigngroup > Architecture

Architecture Galleries

High Ridge Ranch : A dramatic northern view and the desire of the owners to build a guest retreat shaped the design of this home. The challenge was to frame the northern view while at the same time opening the home to the breezes and natural light from the south. The plan is organized into three components to provide privacy and comfort for the many guests that visit High Ridge Ranch. The Main House includes the owner’s suite and is the primary gathering place. The bunk house, containing two bedrooms and a living area, is connected to the Main House by a Dog Trot. The Bird’s Nest, an efficiency apartment, is located above the Garage. The three components are accessed from a south-oriented courtyard that captures southern breezes and sunlight. The Dog Trot connects the south yard with the north and is the primary outdoor room. Reclaimed barn siding and timbers are used in the interior of the Main House. The Great Room and Kitchen are oriented on a North-South axis to frame the view of distant northern hills and to capture the southern sun. Several Green Design features are incorporated into the project, including non-ventilated, insulated attics and on-demand water heating.

High Ridge Ranch

Rancho Escarpado : A panoramic Hill Country view and a southern exposure are the primary forces that shaped this design. Perched on a small hillside plateau, the three components - Main House, Master Retreat, and Guest House - are gently rotated to frame differing views of the Blanco River Valley. The Main House is one open space comprises of the Kitchen, Living and Dining. The Master Retreat is positioned away from the Main House by a covered porch, but is still connected through the Master Bath. The Guest House is separated from the Main House by the Dog Trot - a breezeway that functions as the primary outdoor living area. Deep overhangs block the harsh summer sun. Expansive southern windows provide passive solar heating in the winter months. Strategically placed operable openings allow for natural ventilation throughout the year. A wide variety of natural materials are utilized, including drystacked boulders, smeared flagstone, reclaimed barnwood and long leaf pine, and stucco.

Rancho Escarpado

Blanco River Retreat : Sitting on the bend of the Blanco River, this home spreads out where all living spaces have a view of the river. The architecture, reminiscent of rustic lodges built in the early 20th Century, features a full-length southern porch with river rock plinths. Natural ventilation is enhanced by placement of windows on both the north and south walls of the Great Room. An assortment of rustic materials were incorporated, including sandstone, river rock, cedar timbers, and slate flooring.

Blanco River Retreat

Rancho Grande : This ranch home was built amongst three huge oak trees on a ranch near Cuero, Texas. Decades ago, ranch hands worked cattle under these trees to avoid the harsh summer sun. The design is organized around a southeast courtyard, with the largest tree as a focal point, in order to capture prevailing gulf breezes as well as the shade of the enormous tree. The interior spaces are positioned along the southern arcade that connects each to the courtyard. This region of Texas has a legacy of colonial Spanish influence, as the home of two wonderful 17th Century missions. The design of this home is influenced by the original ranch houses of the New World - haciendas built by Spanish ranchers.

Rancho Grande

Fredericksburg Stone House : In a perfect blend of old and new, this house offers a glimpse into the past and an open feel of the early range. The original home was once a two-story stone house built around 1880, and we designed an addition to quench the desire for open living space and preserve the home’s historical charm. We retained the cozy atmosphere of the old study, parlor, and formal dining room, and we added a large Master Bedroom and bath and a kitchen that opens into a spacious Great Room with covered porches just outside. In the center of the Great Room stands a wine cave built of cypress and stone. The wine cave served as a water storage tank in the original home, but it now serves as the focal point of the house - and the perfect place to store wines from the Hill Country’s finest vineyards.

Fredericksburg Stone House

Alsace Cabin : Sitting amid huge live oaks and overlooking a private pond, the challenge presented by this site was to relate the outdoor living area to the natural features of the site in such a way that the prevailing breezes were not blocked by the building. The Master Suite is split apart from the Main House, creating a breezeway, to provide a comfortable outdoor space amongst the trees and overlooking the pond. The forms and materials are modeled after the local houses built by Alsatian settlers in the 19th century." Stucco and stone differentiate the two structures in order to reinforce the concept of the compound.

Alsace Cabin

Twin Springs : The inspiration of this design was the creation of a courtyard surrounded by elements of the house. This approach intertwines the interior spaces with the land while providing protection and privacy for the outdoor living area, similar to haciendas built by early Spanish settlers of this region. This elongated configuration allows operable windows and doors to be placed on two sides of most rooms, enhancing natural ventilation and daylighting. Energy costs are reduced, comfort is increased.

Twin Springs

All Images © 2007 Burleson Design Group Inc.
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