Simple Elegance [The Canterbury House]
Economies of Space
Words by Janine Stankus | Photos by Leonid Furmansky
As Murray Legge puts it, “You could call it a ‘reverse coconut’ or ‘a kind of geode,’ or simply a ‘box with a hole.'” The smooth expanse of white stucco is interrupted by boxy bay windows and bisected by a central breezeway, which offer glimpses of rich, warm interiors.
What Murray Legge Architecture firm calls “The Canterbury House” can be described in many ways; however, none captures the meticulous detail that went into designing this modern, yet modest, home. The architects modeled several iterations, starting with a multidimensional design that was whittled down to a sleeker, rectangular shape. “A complicated form is actually the easiest thing to do,” explains Murray. “You don’t need to try and resolve something in a very clear and precise package.”
This 1,680 square-foot home includes two bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a flexible office/studio guest quarters, and an open concept kitchen, dining, and living space—plus a walkway across the courtyard, conceived as its own library space.
The courtyard is Murray’s pièce de résistance. It’s framed in golden wood paneling and canopied by a steel brise-soleil that makes patterns of light and shadow. Both sections of the house look out onto the courtyard and into its partner section, making the house feel infinitely larger. “Being able to inhabit [the outside space] with your mind is probably more important than with your body,” says Murray. “It’s about being able to see and project yourself into it…It adds a certain magic to the house.”
The Canterbury House was part of a four-house project, initiated by three clients who co-purchased the same lot on Canterbury Street. Murray and his firm fondly call it “The Canterbury Tales” because the structures bring together so many different stories. For this particular construction, they contracted with builder Graham Davidson who Murray credits to fully bringing their vision to life.
For Murray, this house represents more than an architectural challenge but a chance to do something that deviates from the traditional vision of a family home that dominates the market. “In Austin, you have people doing all kinds of things, and it’s exciting to embrace that and try to come up with new forms of housing.” The flexibility of the spaces in this design reflect his ethos: rooms that can function as guest rooms, offices, media rooms, and studies that can be purposed to the owner’s lifestyle.
As the Austin housing market continues to explode, and property values with it, Murray says that his idea of “ambitious architecture” remains rooted in a few key things: “a moving experience, quality of light, a feeling of deep connection, a kind of poignancy, but done with very modest means and unexpected materials.”
Doing Dogtrot Justice
The Canterbury House emulates traditional Dogtrot architecture which became popular in the late 19th/early 20th centuries for its passive cooling capabilities. It’s characterized by a covered outdoor space that cuts through two sections of the house (typically with one side being the cooking quarters) and funnels an attractive breeze.
Contact:
1701 Emilie Ln., Unit B
murraylegge.com
@murray_legge
