Edgeland House / Bercy Chen Studio

Edgeland House in Austin, Texas by Bercy Chen Studio:

In an increasingly generic and de-natured world, we are interested in producing architecture tuned to the specificity of a place. The Edgeland residence is commissioned by a science fiction writer enthralled with 21st century human habitation in the urban frontiers of abandoned industrial zones.

Not unlike Col Charles Goodnight’s first dug out at the JA ranch in 19th century Texas, the design is inspired by the vernacular of the “pit house”, one of the oldest housing typology in North America used by Native Americans through the ages.

This brownfield reclaim project minimized disturbance to the site, as the previous excavations to remove an old Chevron pipeline left a scar on the bluff, the two new green roofed wings sheltering each other from the sun is an attempt to heal the land by restoring the slope and bring wildlife back.