« All Events This event has passed. Houston Modern Home Tour September 20, 2014 @ 11:00 am - 4:00 pm | $30 Event Navigation « Sunset Magazine LA Beach Cities Home & Garden Tour Vancouver Modern Home Tour » DATE: Saturday, September 20, 2014 TIME: 11:00am – 4:00pm COST: $30 USD Online in advance, $40 USD Day of LOCATION: A link to the tour homes’ locations and the location of the fair will be posted here TRANSPORTATION: Self-driving, Self-paced Advance tickets are on sale through FRIDAY, September 19 AT 8:00 PM for $30 each. Tickets purchased after that time MUST be purchased at any of the tour homes beginning at 11:00 am on September 20 for $40 USD each. Children 12 and under are free. Paper tickets WILL NOT be mailed. Tickets that were purchased online in advance will be available at the three will call homes on the day of the tour (September 20) starting at 11am. Those will call homes will be announced as soon as the home lineup is finalized. Modern Home Tours is pleased to announce that the Lawndale Art Center is returning as the beneficiary for the 2014 Modern Home Tour! FEATURED HOMES 821 Bunker Hill – WILL-CALL LOCATION Architect: 2Scale Architects Photography: Benjamin Hill Photography This unique custom home was inspired by the contemporary architecture of Mexico. Reflecting pools + privacy walls create a retreat within the city that feels more resort than suburban. Simple materials allow the composed shapes of this home create a restrained, calm living experience. Floor to ceiling glass walls with massive sliding doors allow several outdoor rooms to expand the living experience. This home is designed for a large family that loves to entertain. The Casita or “little house” is a separate building with game room, guest quarters and pool bath all connected to the main house by a breezeway with the outdoor kitchen. Simple materials and deliberate view catching makes this one one of a kind. 136 East 23rd Street – WILL-CALL LOCATION Builder, Design, Interior Design: Robertson Design The design of this relatively modest house has a definite Japanese influence. The carefully choreographed entry sequence, the material clarity, and the sculptural presence of the house all have their roots in the Japanese residential tradition. The building is composed of three elements- a concrete box, a wooden box, and the low concrete wall that encloses the entry courtyard. Fenestration on the front is limited, while courtyards as well as numerous skylights fill the seemingly blank boxes with ample natural light. The first floor is a single space where slight level changes delineate function. The simple and bright white rooms of the second floor stand in marked contrast to the downstairs with its wood and concrete walls. 5319 Jackson Design/Build: Intexure Architects Architect: Russell Hruska AIA and Rame Hruska AIA Photography: Rame Hruska This home helps set a new standard for urban infill in a changing neighborhood. As a two-story house it emphasizes “horizontality,” keeping the home to a livable human scale. This configuration also maximizes the use of natural light through the space particularly from the northern facade. Currently undergoing LEED certification, sustainable features include high efficiency windows, AC, insulation, and solar array. The materiality of the home emphasizes quality and a thoughtful neutral palette alongside a thread of playful color that runs throughout the home and gives it a personal and emotional connection. The result is a modern home that feels like home. 845 Pecanwood Lane Designer: Lisa Pope-Westerman Interior Designer: Lisa Pope-Westerman Photography: Joe Aker Tucked away in a cul-de-sac in one of Houston’s oldest communities, the house, by designer Lisa Pope-Westerman, challenges traditional interpretations of what a home should be. Responding to the unique geological condition of the site, the concrete pier foundation and steel framing system rises 42 inches above the earth, appearing to float off the ground. A fault line runs diagonally through the center of the property, forcing the house to shift to one side of the lot. The steel framing system allows the edge of the house to cantilever directly over the fault. While most builders saw this lot as un-buildable due to the fault line, Pope-Westerman and her husband thought themselves fortunate to find it. Always up for a challenge, Pope-Westerman thought, “what could be more exciting for a designer then an anomaly?” For Pope-Westerman, the beauty of the property lies in the trees surrounding the perimeter of the lot. Because the tree roots lie within the top 8 inches of soil, building away from the roots has extended the life span of the trees. The exaggerated height of the house, and its location above the ground, creates a tree-house effec t on its interior and exterior. A billboard-like art installation hangs on the house’s façade and anchors it in the neighborhood. The image is a photographic reflection of the surrounding landscape, installed next to a ribbon of windows that reflects the actual landscape. The effect is of a house concealed by the tall pines of the neighborhood. Using her background in hospitality design, Pope-Westerman created an environment that is functional, with flair. The interior of the house takes its cues from commercial retail and restaurant spaces. Many of the bathroom, kitchen, and light fixtures in the house are commercial grade, and not typically seen in residential applications. 3320 University Blvd. – WILL-CALL LOCATION Architect: Scott Strasser In this, her 17th house, Carol Isaak Barden adheres to the philosophy of concealment, creating very interior architecture. “From the street, you see very little, but as you pass through the gate, the house reveals itself bit by bit, creating exciting spatial experiences,” she says. Scott Stasser, who is known for simple modern spaces with beautiful details, has designed the house, expressing himself in as few gestures as possible. Known for her warm Pacific Northwest interiors, Barden has commissioned The House of Many Gardens, a two-story, 5000 square foot home that has uninterrupted garden views from the entrance, from the living and dining room, and even the master bath. The home has a spacious catering kitchen designed for someone who likes to entertain, and the master suite has a packing station for the frequent traveler. The home celebrates the beauty of the natural landscape by blurring the boundary between inside and outside. 530 Oxford St. Architect: Allen Bianchi Photo credits: Anna Veselova This 3,000 square foot custom home and artist’s studio was designed for an unusual shaped triangular lot located in central Houston, along a hike and bike trail that was formerly a rail line. The owners requested the architect to design a simple affordable and sustainable residence on the first two floors of the home. The entire third floor is left open for the artist’s working studio. The solution was to design triangular form that follows the shape of this parcel of land flowing, with open plans that allow free circulation, open-space, natural light, and indoor-outdoor living. Building fenestration were designed to allow natural light while orientation shields the interior from harsh sunlight while allowing filtered light and natural ventilation. Efficient mechanical systems were employed to reduce utility expenses such as high seer rated HVAC equipment, sprayed-in insulation, double-insulated low-e glass set in commercial aluminum frames. The clients’ requests resulted in a unique architectural work that uses common cement siding common on homes of the area, while exploring new possibilities of contemporary design. Native grasses, plants and gravel complete the low-impact landscape. 5302 Mandell street Architect: Allen Bianchi Costume Contemporary home with a Mediterranean courtyard theme. The design provides privacy for the home owners as well as indoor/outdoor entertaining. the main theme of the house are the natural light and flowing open spaces. The resulting sculptural forms maintain a contextual connection to the museum district. Photo credit: Anna Veselova Photo credit: Renzo Chiesa Photo credit: Anna Veselova Photo credit: Renzo Chiesa Photo credit: Renzo Chiesa Photo credit: Renzo Chiesa + Google Calendar+ iCal Export Details Date: September 20, 2014 Time: 11:00 am - 4:00 pm Cost: $30 Event Tags:featured tours