Kuhlman II

A professional couple purchased a two-acre wooded site in an exclusive neighborhood where traditional houses with grand entrances oriented to the street are typical.  The clients desired a modern house providing California-style indoor-outdoor living - to the degree possible in Houston's harsh climate, where summers are hot and humid and winters are wet.

The mostly one-story plan takes advantage of the large site and creates strong connections to the outdoors with large expanses of glass interspersed with limestone masses.  The couple opted for privacy by installing a driveway to locate their house deep within the flat property, making it invisible from the road.

Summer heat and heavy rainfall are managed with deep roof overhangs and slatted sunscreens shielding glazed surfaces. Materials included Texas limestone and Rheinzink, with poured concrete floors and custom back-painted glass cabinets indoors.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     - eyrc.com

Kuhlman II is one of Builders West's most challenging and rewarding projects.  To prepare, BWI traveled to LA to visit with Steven Ehrlich in his home and tour a selection of projects in order to understand the sense of  space that would be constructed and to advise the firm on how to adapt their design details for the Houston environment.