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Other
winners
2010
Kane, an 1890s "Folk Victorian" house in
Old Sixth Ward
2337
Blue Bonnet, a 1937 International Style residence
2421
Brentwood, a 1929 Katharine Mott-designed home
201
Main, the former First National Bank Building
Spire
Realty Group for its commitment to preservation downtown
1600
Westheimer, the former Imperial Plumbing Supply Building
3842
N. Braeswood, a 1960 modern office building
4916
Main, the former Weldon Cafeteria
Keck
Hall (Chemistry Building), Rice University
Girl
Scout Troop 12357, San Jacinto Council, for research
and assistance at Glenwood Cemetery
John
L. Nau III for his leadership in preservation
AIA
25 year award: Mies van der Rohe additions to the
Museum of Fine Arts |
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historically sensitive addition to this Victorian
shotgun nearly tripled its size while retaining
the character of the house and its neighborhood.
(Photo by Janice E. Ashton) More
photos from this project > |
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The shotgun house at 2010 Kane
was built in the 1890s in the Folk Victorian style. Although
it had survived more than 100 years and several unsympathetic
alterations, the charming little shotgun faced an uncertain
future because of its condition and its size — at
less than 800 square feet, it was simply too small for
most 21st century Houstonians.
Fortunately for the little house, and for those of us
who care about preserving our past, Steven Courtade showed
up to rescue and restore it. His childhood in New Orleans'
Garden District had imbued him with an abiding interest
in historic architecture. The successful renovation and
expansion of 2010 Kane was a joint effort by a caring
and dedicated owner, a visionary architect and a skilled
contractor, each of whom understands and respects historic
architecture.
The shotgun was well suited to the needs of middle-class,
Victorian-era Houstonians. It was easy to ventilate in
Houston's hot, humid climate. It was built of relatively
inexpensive materials, and it did not require complex
construction skills. The shotguns that have survived are
solid, well-constructed buildings, and many are located
in neighborhoods where today's Houstonians want to
live. Their small size, however, places unique demands
on owners and architects attempting to adapt them for
21st-century living.
Steven Courtade and his architect, Sherry Tseng Hill,
proved themselves more than equal to that challenge. They
planned an addition that almost tripled the square footage
of the residence, but they skillfully located it to the
rear of the property, in the manner of a carriage house,
and took extreme care to minimize the impact of the addition
from all angles. In addition to keeping it completely
behind the original house, they stepped back the side
elevations of the addition so that the original outline
of the existing house was maintained when viewed from
the street.
Their carefully planned work was skillfully executed by
the Alidade Group as contractor. Original materials were
restored or replicated, both on the original house and
the addition. The completed project responds to the housing
needs of the owner while respecting the historic neighborhood
in which the home is located.
See
more photos from this project >
Next
winner: 2337 Blue Bonnet >
Text: Martha Peterson
Copyright 2003, Greater Houston Preservation Alliance
This
year's sponsors >
GHPA home >
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