Austin Home Tour (Part Two): Q & A with Tim Cuppett Architects
This past fall I had the pleasure of visiting several homes on the AIA Austin Homes Tour, an annual event that highlights 14 of the best homes within the city of Austin, Texas. A collaboration of work, it’s a unique opportunity for both designers and architects to showcase their talents. The homes showcase a range of styles, techniques, construction, materials, and execution.
Continuing my series on the home tour, I sat down with Tim Cuppet of Tim Cuppett Architecture & Interiors to chat about the Eva Street House. Tim leads a small team of six and offers full-service architecture and interior design services with a residential portfolio spanning two decades. Their work is rooted in traditional forms of hearth and home interpreted in quiet modernism. Over the years, Tim and his team have won several awards for their distinctive work and continue to do so each year.
The AIA Homes Tour describes the Eva Street House as:
“…a new urban infill home for empty nesters. Eager to embrace their surroundings, the owners wanted a home with a graciously scaled front porch and street-facing pedestrian-friendly street. Indicative of the early 20th-century era homes that fill the neighborhood, the interiors remain crisp and current, consistent with the scale of older neighboring homes. Eva Street House is quietly modern, modestly scaled and integral to its old neighborhood context.”
Here’s the scoop from Tim on this gorgeous home.
Can you tell us about the client and how you worked with them? “The client approached us about designing their next home in Bouldin, a walkable neighborhood adjacent to South Congress Ave. Being recent empty-nesters, they chose to downsize from their large suburban home.“
What was the timeline of the project with the client? “The client approached us early as they wished to work methodically through the process and were not ready to sell their existing home. On their schedule, we worked about a year in design, documentation, and permitting.“
How long did each process take? “After design and documentation, construction for this house took approximately 12 months.”
How big of a team worked on this project? “Our team consisted of 4: myself, my business partner Dave who functioned as the project architect, a draftsman, and our interior designer, Adriana Chetty.”
How does this house incorporate the design needs and style of the client? “Like each project which is designed for specific individuals, our solution marries the style and needs of the client to the site. Interiors were developed using sentimental pieces which they brought, supplemented by a few new items.”
What was the most challenging part of this project?“As on most projects, the most challenging part is stretching the budget to get the highest “quality-of-life” return on the dollars being spent.”
What are the prominent design features of this house?“The house was intended to blend seamlessly into the existing neighborhood. This tree-lined street was particularly pleasant and we didn’t want to disrupt its rhythm. The new house, scale, massing, and setback were compatible with existing fabric; its detailing and execution make it stand out upon close inspection.”
Were you able to stay within the client’s budget? “Yes, the budget was fixed.”
Did you work with local manufacturers and vendors? What was that like? “We prefer to work with local fabricators and vendors when possible; the collaboration leads to more meaningful solutions. For Eva Street we worked with local maker, Shoda Yamaguchi for some new furniture items. In addition, Ambrose Upholstery reworked some existing upholstered pieces.“
Tim and his team work in collaboration to create the unthinkable: a seamlessly perfected collaboration between design and architecture. They are happy to provide their expert advice and help your dream home visions come to life. You can follow their work and get in touch by visiting, www.cuppettarchitects.com.
