Nic Lehoux
edward m. baum faia, architect, dallas
Edward M. Baum, FAIA, says the design for this prototype duplex housing is a creative solution to the 50-foot-by-150-foot infill sites common in Dallas, and he’s optimistic it can be adapted to other cities. Instead of a conventional single-family house or a low-rise multifamily building, “these smaller homes fit more gracefully on a site,” he says.
The linear-shaped, two-bedroom units are aimed at smaller households or live/work arrangements, without sacrificing the precious amenities of a single-family house. Owners use garage doors to enter their units, passing through inviting crushed-rock courtyards. “This really does reconsider how you enter the house,” said one judge. “And it’s handled in a beautiful and pragmatic way. When you open the door, it’s a fantastic experience.”
Inside, the main public space consists of a combination kitchen/living/dining room; a narrow gallery leads to the private rooms and additional outdoor spaces. Baum designed the homes for affordable construction using typical lumberyard materials, such as painted 2×12 rafters, waxed concrete floors, and drywall. Even the roof—tapered rigid foam insulation installed on the outside—is a typical commercial spec. “The only custom products are the windows,” Baum says. Our judges admired the project’s modesty and praised its “elegant, simple moves.”
principal in charge / project architect: Edward M. Baum, FAIA, Edward M. Baum FAIA, Architect
developer: Diane Cheatham, Urban Edge Developers, Dallas
general contractor: Diane Cheatham, CCM Group, Dallas
project size: 1,660 square feet per unit
site size: 0.34 acre
construction cost: $101 per square foot
sales price: $275,000 to $290,000 per unit
units in project: 4
photography: Hester + Hardaway
product specs
bathroom and kitchen plumbing fittings, bathroom plumbing fixtures:American Standard; bathroom and kitchen cabinets, entry and interior doors, sheathing, structural lumber:The Home Depot; exterior siding:Jimmy’s Cypress; garage doors:Clopay Building Products; garbage disposer:In-Sink-Erator; hardware:Schlage Lock Co., Stanley Hardware; hot water heaters:Robert Bosch LLC; hvac equipment:Trane; insulation:Owens Corning; kitchen plumbing fixtures:Kohler Co.; lighting fixtures:Lightolier, RAB Lighting; oven:Jenn-Air; paints/stains:The Sherwin-Williams Co.; patio doors, windows: Thermal Windows Inc.; refrigerator: Electrolux Home Products (Frigidaire); security system: Granbury Security Systems; shower doors:Cardinal Shower Enclosures; skylights/roof windows:Dome’l