48’ House is a modest single family residence in Houston, Texas designed to accommodate the changing lifestyle needs of a young professional family. The size and proportion of the house are based upon a 4′ x 8′ framing module ideal for wood and steel construction—minimizing material waste during construction. The house is sited at the rear of a standard lot that spans between a residential street (to the north/front) and a masonry sound-wall adjacent to US Interstate 59 (to the south/back), a location where the interstate is depressed approximately 18’ below natural grade. The mass of the house blocks the majority of highway sound from the front lawn making this an ideal space for outdoor activity under two massive live-oak trees. The first level contains work spaces (an outdoor covered shop, an office, storage, and a half bath). The second level contains living spaces (a kitchen, a forty-eight foot long dining and living space, two-bedrooms, and a full bath).

First featured in Dwell Magazine’s October 2007 print issue, 48’House has received national and international attention for its design innovation and economy. In 2010, it was published in a special ten-year anniversary print issue, Dwell: 100 Houses We Love, 2000-2010.

Photographer: Daniel Hennessy