Inspiring modern cottage on rocky sea shores

This guesthouse and weekend retreat in Burnet, Texas juxtaposes rough-edged elements with polished precision. Austin architecture firm, Mell Lawrence Architects, known for the quality and uniqueness of its design work, and for its attentiveness to client needs, took cues from the craggy surrounding landscape. “The trees have a textural quality, and the ground is rocky, with a lot of limestone outcroppings,” he says.

Corrugated metal siding and storage doors made from raw juniper branches relate to this rugged aspect, while the interior wood detailing and standing seam metal roofs add refinement. The local vernacular played into these contrasting material choices as well. “In the older rural areas around the South and Texas, people mixed a lot of smooth boards and rough wood,” Lawrence notes.

The bluff top site’s view down onto the lake below helped dictate the home’s orientation and glass-filled southern facade. A south-facing overhang covered with solar panels wards off the harsh sun, while generating enough energy to power the 1,400-square-foot cottage. A rainwater collection system and xeriscaping provide additional resource-conserving measures. While not technically off the grid, the house is self-sufficient, just as Lawrence intended. “The clients wanted it to not relate to the main house,” he says. “They wanted it to feel like another world.”