Specht Novak

Preston Hollow Residence | Dallas, Texas

The Preston Hollow House blurs the lines between indoors and out. A floating pavilion roof hovers over the interior and exterior spaces while sliding glass panels and corrugated concrete walls define its courtyards. The house is open and light-filled yet provides seclusion from the street.

“It’s right in the middle of the city, yet you really can’t perceive any other houses.”
– Scott Specht, principal architect

Water helps link the exterior and interior spaces. A narrow channel, punctuated by cascading terraces and a gentle waterfall near the main entry, flows through the house and into the swimming pool. At night, lighting within the stream casts changing patterns on the textured walls.

The concrete walls were cast using custom formwork that creates a corrugated appearance on one side while remaining smooth on the other. Unlike the brutalist architecture of the 1960s, however, the monolithic walls are countered by delicate steel columns, frameless windows, and flowing water.

Casa Annunziata | Sheffield, Massachusetts

Annunziata means “spiritual announcement” in Italian— and it is an appropriate descriptor for this immaculately minimalist space and the intensely ornamental art collection inside.

Set toward the back of a 4.5 acre field surrounded by large trees, the symmetrical home is on-axis with the entry road, so that on approach you see a perfectly balanced composition. The drive curves around the home providing a variety of perspectives before reaching the entry to the house, which has a view back through the glass walls to the field beyond.

“It’s magical living in a glass house, living in nature, in the garden, together with deer, wild turkeys and lots of birds.”
– The Annunziatas

The home is a 2,000 square foot single-story pavilion with a thin floating roof that cantilevers 15’ from the perimeter walls — an extreme departure from the owners’ previous 18th century farm house. The open interior features a central living space with a bedroom suite at each end. It serves as a rotating gallery for the owners’ collection of ornamental objects and art collected over a lifetime.

Sangre de Cristo House | Santa Fe, New Mexico

Set into a ridge-top in Santa Fe, two large, perpendicular board-formed concrete walls create this home’s structure. The walls link the interior and exterior spaces with the arid landscape while providing a true sense of shelter. A narrow skylight runs the entire 125′ of one of the walls and casts shifting shadows on the rough concrete throughout the day.

“There’s a nice progression of sunlight through the house, not unlike a sundial. It’s just beautiful.”
– S. Claire Conroy, Residential Design

You enter through a recessed courtyard into a cool, private vestibule. An opening cut into the wall leads into the body of the house where large expanses of glass reveal panoramic views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A cantilevered roof shades the large windows as well as the porches tucked around the perimeter.

Bridgehampton House | Bridgehampton, New York

The Bridgehampton House is a major renovation and reconstruction of an existing 1980’s house near the Long Island shore. We added large windows and clerestory glazing, letting the views and natural light be the focus of the interior spaces. Simple, utilitarian materials such as sealed plywood and bleached cedar complement the architecture, and provide for a bright, comfortable coastal home.

New Canaan Residence | New Canaan, Conneticut

This residence, nestled into a clearing in a lush forested landscape, was designed to immerse its occupants in the full range of environments that the site offers. A winding drive brings visitors through the forest to arrive at an open hilltop court that is defined by the low, embracing form of the house. The house is built on a steep grade, with the entry on the second level, so as you move inside, the feeling of grounded horizontality becomes one of floating in the treetops. The tree canopy enfolds the interior space and creates a visual perimeter that changes with the seasons.
A staircase tucked behind the free-standing fireplace leads down to the lower level of the house, which is carved into the earth and gives onto the forest floor. The cozy nature of the lower level provides an experiential contrast to the expansive and light-filled level above.

Casa Xixim | Tulum, Mexico

This villa hotel, on a narrow lot fronting a protected bay in Tulum, Mexico, is designed to be fully self-sufficient, and to immerse its occupants in the range of environments that the site offers. A narrow path brings visitors through dense vegetation to a large living- dining-kitchen space that is fully open to the beach beyond. The living spaces can be closed at night by a bank of large wooden louver panels that pocket into the walls.
Both sides of all bedrooms can also be fully opened, maximizing views and allowing prevailing winds to provide cooling. The house is powered by a photovoltaic canopy that shades a large rooftop hammock terrace. The terrace also collects rainwater that is filtered and stored for use. The house is grid-tied, produces no excess, and works in harmony with its surroundings.

Manhattan MicroLoft | Manhattan, New York

This project involved the radical transformation of a tiny, awkward apartment at the top of a six-story building. The existing apartment had only 425 square feet of floor area, but a ceiling height of over 24 feet. The new design creates a flowing interior landscape that takes advantage of this height, allowing light to spill down from above, and creating a bright, open, and comfortable home.
The architectural strategy was to create four “living platforms” that accommodate everything necessary, while still allowing vertical space between the platforms. The spaces are stacked and interleaved, with a cantilevered bed that hovers out over the main living space, an ultra-compact bath tucked beneath the stair, and a roof garden with windows that allows light to cascade through the house. Every inch is put to use, with stairs featuring built-in storage units below, similar to Japanese kaidan dansu. The apartment is crafted like a piece of furniture, with hidden and transforming spaces for things and people.

Beach Haven Residence | Long Beach Island, New Jersey

Our Beach Haven Home sits tucked away on a narrow lot along the Atlantic coast in New Jersey. We’ve built something open and light-filled that takes advantage of its beautiful setting while adhering to the strict square-footage and height restrictions required by law.

The house can comfortably accommodate a family of five. The upper level features an ocean-facing master suite, while each child has their own, uniquely styled “ship’s cabin.” The lower level includes a guest room / office, lounge, elevated hot tub area, and a large living space with a kitchen. All of this fits nicely within its compact 2,500 square foot envelope.

Boat building techniques were used in the home’s construction. The roof is completely fiberglass while the exterior components are stainless steel. The glass in the windows has the highest hurricane-rating available. Two types of cedar are used on the exterior, providing a contrasting sculptural form to the house.

“The result is a striking contemporary design that maximizes the lot’s compact space, complies with all FEMA regulations, is robust enough to withstand the Jersey Shore’s often harsh and unforgiving climate, yet delivers a stylish and very comfortable family vacation home.”
– Andrew Conway, Ocean Home

Cliffside Residence | Austin, Texas

Suspended on a narrow limestone ridge halfway down a cliff overlooking Lake Austin, this home was designed to enhance the drama of living in such an unusual natural setting. We opened up both the water side and the cliff-face side with large windows, and provided decks for outdoor living at multiple levels.
This was a major renovation of a deteriorating 1970’s-era house. The original entry was via a dangerous exterior ramp that ran from street level down to a front door 25’ below. The entry is now via a light-filled pavilion that overlooks the lake and opens onto a large rooftop herb garden. A sequence of stairs, supplemented by an elevator, descends through the three levels of the house, revealing views of both the lake and the limestone cliff as you work your way down.
Materials incorporated into the house include flooring that the owners salvaged, furniture made from a collection of industrial parts they collected, and stone from a quarry they frequented during vacations. The house expresses the unique and charming character of its owners

Weston Residence | Weston, Conneticut

The Weston Residence nestles in a valley adjacent to the Saugatuck River. This small house blurs the distinction between the built and its breathtaking surroundings.

“The architects immersed the concrete and glass house in the landscape so that a series of green rooftop terraces gently step down from the street to the river below.”
– Architectural Record

The roof is the first thing you’ll see when arriving by the windy road from a cliff above. Thus, it’s been transformed into a lush, green landscape. Terraces planted with year-round, region-specific succulents step down the hill, and bedrooms project out into these roof gardens. You feel immersed in the surrounding forest.

Views, portals, and material continuity join the interior and exterior spaces. A glass-backed fireplace provides an elegant surprise when stepping into the living area. The landscape becomes the decoration for the rooms, playing between transparency during the day and reflectivity at night.

West Lake Hills Residence | West Lake Hills, Texas

This house was originally a small, 1970s-era “French style” house atop a hill among an expansive oak tree canopy. Our goal was to create a larger more transparent home that allowed the landscape to flow through all the living spaces, all while preserving the live oaks.

“It’s all a stunning example of not just creatively bringing the outside in, but stylishly kicking-up the inside to reflect the outdoor energy even more.”
– Austin Home

A masonry support wall weaves between the trees and lifts the primary mass of the house off the ground. These walls extend to form interior and exterior rooms, defining family spaces on the lower level, while supporting a “floating box” of enclosed bedrooms and private spaces above.

A muted palette of materials at the lower level provides predominate views towards the landscape, while personally-chosen materials and colors express the individuality of each family member at the upper level.

Doyle Hall | Austin, Texas

The Doyle Hall renovation and new classrooms wing at St. Edward’s University creates a welcoming space from an unused lot. Parallel wings of faculty offices define a courtyard serviced by a new café in the former chapel. Now, students and faculty can mingle and have coffee beneath a centuries-old oak tree.

The new classrooms wing takes cues from the adjacent 1950s building. Exposed concrete bays and wall panels create both a visual and physical link between the two structures.

“The new wing recasts elements of the old building in an elegant contemporary idiom, a gesture that’s at once compliment and complement.”
– Marc Kristal, Metropolis

The design deploys a “stealth architecture” that works to bind the existing elements together. This allows them to be seen and used in a new way.

Indeed.com Headquarters | Austin, Tokyo, Dublin, and other cities

Specht Novak has collaborated with Indeed.com on the design of their global headquarters spaces, including several large campus projects in Austin and Stamford CT, as well as offices in Dublin, Tokyo, Hyderabad, Seattle, San Francisco, Scottsdale, and other cities.  We have also developed Design Standards documentation for the company and defined the conceptual framework for future Indeed.com spaces.

Indeed wished to express their forward-looking, people-oriented business through offices that are visually striking, but also warm and comfortable. Textural materials such as wood, brick, and concrete are integrated with large tech-oriented display screens and linear light strips.  Plants, trees, and hand-painted murals are incorporated into most spaces.  The overall feel is a layering of technology, humanity, and nature.

zeroHouse

The zeroHouse is a compact, prefabricated house that is easily shipped and quickly assembled. It features a full kitchen, bath, and all elements to comfortably support four adults. What sets the zeroHouse apart from other prefab structures is the ability to operate independently, without the need for any external connections. The zeroHouse generates its own power, processes its own waste, collects and stores rainwater, and requires minimal maintenance.

“Best for people who wish the Jetsons were real.”
– Popular Mechanics

zeroHouse can be used in many applications, including residential uses in remote or ecologically sensitive locations, as ecotourism resort units, or as living/office modules for remote employment such as mining, construction, or relief agency uses. With the zeroHouse you can live anywhere – comfortably.

If you’d like more information on the zeroHouse, including detailed specifications, please drop us a line in the contacts section of this site.

The Carpenter Hotel | Austin, Texas

In a grove of pecan trees, between the Barton Springs swimming hole and downtown, sits The Carpenter Hotel. A restaurant, café, event pavilion, and 93 guest rooms surround a tree-shaded courtyard and pool.

“It is a new take on the idea of adaptive re-use that doesn’t mimic what was existing, or create a bright line between the “old” and the “new”, but a stealth approach that merges all the parts into an urban collage that feels unforced and authentic.”
– Scott Specht, principal architect, for Forbes

A sense of place drives the design – the desire to create something natural to its location, neighborhood, and the city as a whole. The hotel preserves and incorporates almost all of the original heritage pecan trees growing on the site. Its restaurant and lobby feature pecan wood boards from any fallen or damaged trees. An existing mid-century utilitarian union hall for Carpenter’s Local 1266 is repurposed as the lobby and restaurant. The new hotel building, shade canopies, and Quonset hut-based pavilion have a new and distinct architectural expression. Yet, their forms and materials are harmonious with the existing union hall and local industrial buildings. It’s all a new take on the idea of adaptive re-use that doesn’t mimic what was existing. Instead, it merges all the parts into a collage that feels effortless and authentic.

An exposed rough-concrete frame composes the new hotel building. It’s infill walls are made of locally-sourced clay masonry blocks and recycled steel oil-drilling pipe. All materials are expressed as-is. Spacing and the patterning of basic elements create any decorative effects. There is no attempt to mimic historic styles or follow architectural trends. It is simple and direct, and its power comes from this straightforward expression.

New American House | Austin, Texas

New American House inverts the form of the typical freestanding residence, creating a livable oasis in otherwise undesirable areas or lots, such as industrial warehouse zones, abandoned retail sites, parcels next to highways, alley lots, and other seemingly unappealing places to live.

“New American House is modern in every way, but the design brings to mind many ancient design concepts.”
– KC Morgan, Inhabitat

The plan roughly follows a traditional Roman house model but features multiple smaller courtyards that allow for privacy at each bedroom. The exterior is a blank canvas—concrete block walls and a large steel door—which can be left as-is to fade into the background or decorated to stand out. The private roofscape features a garden, solar panels, and landing pad for delivery drones.

The privacy and small footprint of the home allow for immense versatility in location, including as part of growing urban infill trends. Stay tuned, Scott Specht is currently designing and building the first New American House in Austin, Texas. Estimated completion in 2023.

Treetops House | Austin, Texas

The Treetops House is a renovation and expansion of a 1955 suburban ranch home. The original house was typical for its time – a sprawling single-story with small windows and clad entirely in Texas limestone. The new design transforms the house into a bright and inviting modern home.

The history of a place should be preserved. Thus, the design maintains the limestone perimeter wall and adds a second level. This top level has large, frameless glass windows and opens the interior to create double-height spaces. These large windows and open spaces bring in light from above and into the center of the house. The large cantilever overhangs provide shade at all times of the day.

“The new composition is one which is clearly of its time, but also respects and reflects the time and place in which the original house was created.”
– Michele Koh Morollo, Dwell

The design also invites a connection with the outdoor areas. The surrounding treescape provides a beautiful backdrop to the intimate interior spaces. Cladding of charred cypress prevents glare and adds a textural counterpoint. A large kitchen has countertop-height serving windows that open onto a pool terrace and entertaining area. Native grasses and other low-maintenance plantings comprise the landscaping.

Pelham Manor | Pelham Manor, New York

Built in 1961, the mid-century modern home was the first residential project by female architecture pioneer Judith Edelman and husband Harold, of The Edelman Partnership (now ESKW/A). The Edelmans were modernist architects and this was a case study. They lived in the home for many years before later owners made unfortunate updates to the home that detracted from the original modernist intent.

A fallen tree that leveled a sunroom addition was the final push towards a gut renovation of the home back to its original integrity while bringing it up to present day standards. In addition to rehabilitating the mid-century charm, the renovation also expanded the house from 2,400 square feet, to 3,900 square feet.

“With the goal of maintaining the home’s original spirit while updating it for energy efficiency and a more contemporary way of living, Mr. Specht got to work.”
– Tim McKeough, New York Times

The exterior of the home was completely stripped, rebuilt, and extended to create a modern facade with more privacy and energy efficiency while maintaining the allure of the original cedar wood planks. Inside, white oak floors tie the entire home together from an updated kitchen with custom oak cabinetry through to a fleshed out lower level with new family room and additional bedroom.

The intent was to pay homage to the local New York architecture couple by keeping their legacy alive, updating the home in way that respects the design intent.

Greenwich Street Loft | Manhattan, New York

Light was the central idea behind the renovation of this industrial loft space in Lower Manhattan. We maintained the open “workshop floor” character while creating a bright and comfortable kitchen, entry hall, and bedroom. A palette of bone-white ash wood paneling and white plaster walls carry the light from the perimeter windows deep into the large living and dining areas.

“This handcrafted approach to each space results in a home that is both modern and timeless.”
– Scott Specht, Principal

Detailing of the space complements the original industrial feel of the building. Vertical battens line the entry hall and conceal hidden doors to a powder room and laundry. Original vaulted concrete ceiling and a steel-clad fire door are maintained and highlighted. A new fireplace has built-in wood storage and niches for art. The home feels livable while remaining true to its utilitarian history.