WHERE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT MEETS NATURE
Sci-fi author loves the biodiverse roof on ‘nature bunker’
When science-fiction writer Chris Brown waters his flowers, or gazes at the stars in the Texas sky, he does so from the comfort of his roof. It’s a roof he reaches by walking up an incline from his backyard.
The design of Brown’s 1,400-sq.-ft. home, dubbed Edgeland House, affords him a chance to enjoy nature in a unique way with its grassy rooftop.
Brown had been intrigued with the idea of inhabiting an abandoned building in the industrial zone on the Colorado River — his nature bunker, as he calls it. So he commissioned the house, designed by Bercy Chen Studio in Austin, Texas.
The house’s west wing contains the living and dining rooms, as well as the kitchen while, across the courtyard, the east wing has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and the writer’s attic/ den. The living area, with floor-toceiling windows, opens up to a large deck outside and a pool.
Architects collaborated with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to reintroduce more than 40 native species of plants and wildflowers to the home’s roof and the site. It took 12 months to build Edgeland, completed in 2012, with glass, steel, concrete and, of course, grass and wildflowers.
Architect Calvin Chen, of Bercy Chen Studio, about Edgeland House:
What’s the inspiration for the house?
The house became a modern reinterpretation of the oldest type of house in North America, the Native American “pit house.”
The pit house, typically sunken, takes advantage of the Earth’s mass to maintain thermal comfort throughout the year. The inspiration came from the site, which was originally a rehabilitated brown field (former industrial) site. We wanted to repair the scar left when the existing Chevron pipeline was removed. We took extensive measures to make sure the site was safe and removed the hidden pipelines. The house occupies the excavated area on the slope.
How did you design around the environment and climate?
We minimized the impervious cover by having a small but effective footprint, and reduced the urban heat island effect by implementing a green roof. The green roof restored the ecology by creating an environment that attracted wildlife back to the site.
Are there other green aspects of the building?
Edgeland has an insulative green roof and a seven-foot excavation, gaining benefits from the Earth’s mass to help it stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The home also has large glass panels that allow in natural light and eliminate day lighting. Chris Brown, author of Tropic of Kansas, reveals what it’s like to live in Edgeland House:
How did the house come about?
I wanted a house that would articulate the idea of an “edgeland,” a place where the division between industrial human development and wild nature met. It was a weird mandate to give an architect. I wanted something low profile, no status display, small — so I could afford to build it — like a bunker, and I wanted it to open up to the river.
What’s it like to live in?
It’s extremely comfortable. The design has that sort of canyon to the river and woods, and the full-length windows open up to the sky. We have an incredible array of bird life, far-out lizards and other reptiles and amphibians that come to the roof and eat insects eating the plants. Hawks fly into the canyon and chase other birds while we’re sitting there. The songbirds love our pool because it’s chlorine-free. However, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea — we do have poisonous snakes slithering up in front of the door in the evening. When it first happened it was a shock but it’s also quite cool.
What’s your favourite part of the house?
The green roof. The plants don’t require a lot of water, but we have an irrigation system. The roof is de- signed to handle watering and rainfall, which maintains the dryness of the underlying structure. I love going up and looking at the stars at night.
The real ecological aspect of the house is that it’s a seed factory, generating plants being put back into the ecosystem and providing a habitat for all manner of wildlife.
Does it inspire you?
Absolutely. The experience of living in this environment gives you a much deeper understanding of the ideas of time that are liberated from the human clock.