Purposeful preservation and careful attention to detail harmonized Craig McMahon Architects’ addition of a contemporary two-bedroom cabana to this property’s original 1950s-era residence in New Braunfels, Texas. The project team expanded the footprint of the 2,100-square-foot ranch-style home, Located along the fresh spring waters of Landa Park, adding a 670-square-foot detached quarter for the clients’ extended family members.
Zoning code and flood regulations decreed the addition be raised 30 inches above the finished floor of the main residence and be positioned at the home’s rear, which would have posed a challenge in keeping the two parts of the home in a mutually respectful scale. To avoid the creative restriction—and to keep the addition from overpowering the original home— Craig McMahon Architects and Canavan Custom Homes connected the two buildings with a covered roof in order to classify the two parts of the home as one structure.
For symmetry and a cohesive aesthetic, they extended the single-story addition as tall as the original structure, and blended the residence’s original materials—stained cedar and limestone—with the fabric of the new quarters. Vaulted ceilings and a stunning stone-faced façade offer an inviting new front door for the entire river-facing site.
See more photos of the cabana and more winners of the 2015 Remodeling Design Awards.