Luz Linares worked as a geologist with Exxon in Houston. Her son, Mauricio, had completed his degree in architecture and was working on a master’s degree in construction management at the University of Houston. Neither had ever built their own home as an owner builder before. Luz planned to retire at Canyon Lake and had purchased a building site with a commanding view of the Tom Creek cove section of Canyon Lake in Las Brisas at Ensinada Shores near Startzville, on the south side of Canyon Lake in Comal County, about 16 miles from New Braunfels. Luz and Mauricio contacted Built Green Custom Homes about guiding them in building the home.
The 1-acre property offered numerous challenges, including a steep slope with a 48’ drop from back to front, as well as a beginning ravine. The Las Brisas developer had started excavation on the hillside to show how a flat building area could be created. Further excavation was needed to form a pad to build the home, which resulted in an 11’ vertical cut in the limestone hillside.
Mauricio led the design of the “upside down” home. The lower level includes the front entry with elevator and stairs, office, bedroom, bath and media room, as well as a 3-car garage with an extra multi-purpose storage room. The upstairs/main living floor includes open concept kitchen/dining/family area to give the best view of Canyon Lake, as well as the owner’s master suite, 2 additional guest bedrooms, bath and laundry.
The north side of the second floor faces the lake and features a full glass wall to capture the lake view. The design of the entrance blocks direct sun from hitting the glass wall. The modern architecture style features green building techniques such as a butterfly roof to capture rainwater with minimal gutters, as well as offer large south-facing roof areas for future solar electric (PV) capture. The 30,000-gallon rainwater tank stores all the water needed for the home. The home is cooled and heated by a geothermal ground source heat pump which features free hot water during the cooling season. The sealed attic with spray foam insulation keeps the attic cool during hot months.
You can see more of this green eco-friendly home in our Linares Gallery.
