Divine Skyline

Divine Skyline
Divine Skyline
Glass-gilded terraces turn Austin home into a scenic viewpoint.

Set into a hillside and tucked behind a thicket of trees in the affluent Westlake neighborhood of Austin, Texas, one residence provides a skyline view of “The Live Music Capital of the World” that’s visible from virtually anywhere in the house.

The panoramic-postcard effect was achieved through masses of moving glass walls and windows, placed throughout the 8,174-square-foot home. “The house is first and foremost a view house, and as such, the fenestration was the top priority in the project,” says Ryan Burke, principal at A Parallel Architecture.

“The three-story home is designed to take full advantage of the 270-degree panoramic views through the extensive use of glass, sliding doors, and terraced balconies.” Ryan Burke, A Parallel Architecture

Custom windows pour light into the kitchen.
Custom windows pour light into the kitchen.

“The building is conceived as a series of projecting terraces, each with its own unique views and solar exposure,” Burke explains. “The north and east sides of the home have extensive glazing, and a series of large sliding doors reinforce the indoor-outdoor connectivity that was so important to the clients.”

Floor-to-ceiling glass opens an entire wall of the home to the primary outdoor space.
Floor-to-ceiling glass opens an entire wall of the home to the primary outdoor space.

Series 600 Multi-Slide Doors run the length of the living room and hallway, disappearing into pockets to open the entire area up to a wooden deck skirting an infinity pool. “The primary outdoor space, centered around a negative-edge pool, is elevated and situated within an L-shaped floor plan, allowing for comfortable indoor-outdoor living in an otherwise untraversable lot,” Burke says.

“The north and east sides of the home have extensive glazing, and a series of large sliding doors reinforces the indoor-outdoor connectivity that was so important to the clients.” Ryan Burke, A Parallel Architecture

The dining room of the home features a Series 600 Window Wall with views to the surrounding wooded area.
The dining room of the home features a Series 600 Window Wall with views to the surrounding wooded area.

In the dining room, a Series 600 Window Wall provides vast views of the oak tree-topped hills that cradle the 1.24-acre property.

But the view of the downtown Austin skyline from the pool deck just might be the crowning spectacle in Burke’s design objective, which was “to take full advantage of the 270-degree panoramic views through the extensive use of glass, sliding doors, and terraced balconies.”

“The house is first and foremost a view house, and as such, the fenestration was the top priority in the project.” Ryan Burke, A Parallel Architecture

The Austin skyline is visible from virtually anywhere in the house.
The Austin skyline is visible from virtually anywhere in the house.

Plating that kind of eye candy isn’t exactly a piece of cake, but Burke says customization options and big glass made it possible: “From the complicated corner-pocketing multi-slide door to the butt-glazed corner units to the sheer size of some of the picture windows, Western Window Systems was able to provide everything we needed for the project.”

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