The Moonlight Duplex is a speculative development project that addresses the demands of rapid population growth in Austin Texas. The challenge was to create a quality, low budget, high design project that could be both architecturally significant and a good neighbor in its established residential context.
The project consists of two attached single family units on a standard 50'x150' infill lot in an eclectic single family neighborhood east Austin, within walking distance of the city center. The project strives to be forward thinking and modern but sympathetic to its established neighbors in terms of scale and massing. The two unit project gives both units an independent and free standing ground floor footprint with clear and separate entrances to foster a sense of individuality and ownership. With a small footprint and overall square foot restrictions the duplex takes advantage of its interior volume with 12 foot ceilings on the first floor and 9.5 foot ceilings on the second creating a space that is unexpected and that seems larger than it really is. The car is given special consideration and brought down the side of the site on a shared drive to an interior carport for security and to keep the street facing side of the project from becoming visually cluttered and overwhelmed by cars. Overall construction costs were extremely minimal and the project is detailed and designed in such a way as to elevate standard materials and construction methods to maximize their value.
