18 Sep Why Architecture Matters When Rebuilding Your Modern Home

Boy, it feels fantastic to be back blogging!! And what an exciting time too, because the 2019 Modern Home Tour fall season, produced by Modern Architecture + Design Society (MA+DS Media), kicked off last weekend up in Vancouver and the next stop, you guessed it, is this Saturday in Houston.  Right in the heart of Texas….well almost. Please enjoy some photos and a few facts about this fantastic modern home, designed for animal lovers, by talented architect Javier Medina, founder and president of Houston architecture firm, Origin Architects.  (Javier reached out to me wanting to share his unique story; post sponsored by Origin Architects.)

HOUSTON MODERN HOME TOUR

One of six U.S. cities on this year’s Tour, presented by BEC Engineers and Consultants, The Houston Modern Home Tour is September 21st, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and features eight diverse modern homes. The Jonathan Street home, designed by AIA (American Institute of Architects) architect, Javier Medina, is one of them. To see a complete list of homes and purchase tickets click HERE (use the discount code MAIN2019). Austin-based MA+DS Media is the producer of this inspiring International Modern Home Tour Series. To find out if your city is on the Tour, please visit their website.

ORIGIN ARCHITECTS

Javier Medina – Photo by Jessica Davis, Chasing Light Photography

This week we dive a little deeper into one home in particular, designed by architect Javier Medina, principal of architecture firm, Origin Architects. Javier has had one of his home designs featured in the Houston Modern Home Tour for three years now.

The Jonathan Street home in this year’s tour has a meaningful and inspiring story behind it and a few interesting features.

As architect, Javier Medina, explains –

…this young couple fell in love with a small 1948 built home hidden in Bellaire. They loved its natural light, wood floors, and most of all, the neighborhood. After only a year and a half, the home was lost to the Harvey flood. Determined to rebuild they came to Origin Architects with some concepts from their first home. The project quickly evolved into a 3,775 sq.ft. C-shaped courtyard.

If you’re able to attend the Houston Modern Home Tour this weekend, here are a few important architectural features of the home to look for and enjoy as you tour this wonderful new build designed by Origin Architects.

FEATURES OF JONATHAN STREET HOME BY JAVIER MEDINA OF ORIGIN ARCHITECTS

• Courtyard  “…the nucleus of the home, visible immediately upon entry, it acts as a cascade of light reaching many spaces throughout the home.”
• Split-level  “…with garage at street level.”
• Open concept living space “…following several stone steps, safely above flood level, you will arrive to the open concept living space, as well as the guest room/study on the main elevated level.”
• Cat Lounge  “…a curved “Cat Door,” resembling a mouse door, connects the Great Room with the “Cat lounge”. It is furnished with shelves, ideal for feline playing as well as resting. Halfway up the suspended stairs, you will find one of two window seats, which were designed for the feline family members as well as their human counterparts.”
• Loft “…on the second level…you’ll find a loft overlooking the two-story space below, and enough bedrooms for this family to continue growing.”
• Study  “….after passing a small window shelf, large enough only for a single cat, a few more steps lead into the study located at the front of the home.” 

BEFORE

AFTER

REBUILDING AFTER HARVEY

From the photos above, I’m confident you will agree with me that it is a remarkably beautiful new modern home. After Harvey, the couple wanted to completely rebuild. This is a home not merely to replace a home, but designed to incorporate some of the memories they had in their recently-purchased home lost to the flood. The home was designed to specifically protect it from any future floods and to incorporate those dear and near to them, their cats.

THE CAT LOUNGE

SNIPPETS FROM “WE LOVE MODERN” PODCAST (see full Podcast below this section)

As James Leasure, founder of MA+DS Media and producer of the Modern Home Tour Series reflects during their inaugural Podcast with both Javier Medina, of Origin Architects, and Reece Scott,of BEC Engineers and Consultants –

“Houston, unlike a lot of the cities we do our tours in, is often in a massive storm’s path. [With the Harvey Hurricane in 2017 ] a lot of people in Houston got hit really hard. A lot of lives were changed. But what I’ve seen since then is more attention to the re-build. We’ve seen  homes on the tours integrate things learned from that disaster a few years ago.”

Javier Medina, principal of Origin Architects, states (paraphrasing here) –  Yes, we have a lot of remodel clients who after Harvey wanted us to remodel without any changes to the foundation.  We encouraged them to raise the level of their homes. [The Jonathan street home] was a perfect project following all the things you have to do post-Harvey. We elevated it per the new required coding with front of the garage slightly higher.

Engineer Reese Scott of BEC Engineers and Consultants agrees (paraphrasing here) – As a result of the new building requirements above the flood plain, civil and structural engineers both have to be smarter on how we design these homes.

It’s great to see Houston bounce back and rebuild as it does. We’re proud to show that off on this year’s tour. – James Leasure, MA+DS

Evidently Javier’s clients were super happy with the house and the entire experience. They particularly appreciated how Origin Architects incorporated:

• wood tones from their prior home,
• spaces for their cats, and
• stayed on budget.

It’s great to hear this from clients that have gone through something as traumatic as Harvey where they lost everything.  – Javier Medina, Origin Architects

WE LOVE MODERN PODCAST

Learn about other distinctive features of the Jonathan Street home and how both the architect and engineer worked together on a project like this on the MA+DS inaugural Podcast link below. Super fascinating Podcast to listen to!

Home for Cats on We Love Modern Podcast

6 REASONS TO WORK WITH ORIGIN ARCHITECTS  

In summary, I asked president of Origin Architects, founder Javier Medina “What are the core reasons homeowners hire your architecture firm for their modern home?” 

1. “We’re problem solvers from the moment clients walk in the door until even after they move into their home,
2. We take clients’ unique needs and wants and transform them into a timeless concept which is a perfect balance of design and functionality,
3. We believe in teamwork beginning from the client as the most important player, and believe in incorporating the valuable feedback of interior designers, engineers, contractors, and other consultants,
4. We are service driven and, regardless of the budget, we give our clients the best of our attention,
5. We adjust our design process to meet clients needs: remote meetings, out of town meetings, consultations etc.,
6. We welcome all Architectural styles and love new challenges. And have a wide range of projects: from small to large remodels, modest sized plans, beach homes, multi-million mansions.”

I don’t think you can top these meaningful answers as to why architecture and the right architect team really matters! To learn more about Origin Architects please visit their website HERE and get out this weekend to be inspired by and enjoy the Houston Modern Home Tour Saturday, 11 – 5 (Tickets HERE). To learn more about architect Javier Medina, here’s an interesting interview about his background you’ll enjoy HERE.

If you’re looking to build or remodel, I think you can definitely count on AIA architect Javier Medina and his team at Origin Architects to design the home of your dreams and then some!

Please PIN this image below to help others learn the importance of architecture when rebuilding a modern home.

Till next week, please follow along the rest of this week, and on Tour Day, on Instagram @thepillowgoddess @originarchitects , where we’ll be posting more images. Enjoy the big cool front that blew in and dropped Texas from 100+ degrees to 98. Fall is almost here!  XO PG

Note: This post is sponsored by Origin Architects. All home images are by Kevin Alvarado (except the flooded home and portrait of Javier) and quotes are by those noted; opinions my own.