red bluff residence by bercy chen studio lp design team from usa

Bercy Chen Studio LP
Red Bluff Residence
2008
Red Bluff is a 1400 square foot residence located in Austin, Texas near Town Lake. Red Bluff touches on architecture as site-specific installation art, but it mostly deals with architecture as an extension of the landscape. As with many of our designs, influence is often drawn from vernacular precedents of various cultures. Red Bluff’s relationship to the landscape, both in terms of approach as well as building performance, references the oldest housing typology in North America; the Pit House. One of Red Bluff’s most dramatic architectural moves involves a 7-foot deep excavation that nestles the residence notably in the landscape, making it a modern version of this timeless dwelling. Like the Pit House, Red Bluff will benefit from using the earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year. Additionally, Red Bluff boasts the following sustainable features that are not just the sum of individual parts, rather, a holistically integrated mechanical system that works towards increasing building performance while simultaneously reducing the carbon footprint.
• Green roof
• Hydronic heating and cooling
• Thermal heat storage using phase change materials
• Water collection
• Geothermal technology with a solar heat pump