Franklin Mountain House Grounded Stone
Commissioned to design a family home in Texas for two design enthusiasts would make any architect happy, but for Dale Rush and Rick Joy this project would mean a whole lot more. After working together designing a few small projects for friends, the duo formed Hazelbaker Rush before working on their first “official” job, Franklin Mountain House.
The arid site and it’s vast views of the city and beyond was the original inspiration for the architecture. Over a three-year period, a three-story home was designed and built with the sole focus on one material: natural stone.
Appearing to come out of the hillside, the Franklin Mountain House was constructed from local basalt in order to connect the architecture with the region’s geology and long mining history.
“We were trying to make a home that felt of the place, and El Paso is a very masonry-driven town,” Rush explains to Dwell.
Rather than source the reddish-brown stone commonly used, the architects opted for darker stone to create a fortress-style base. Supported above is a white lime cement box with grand views, that appears to hover just a few inches off the ground.
Rush says it’s the stone that keeps the building grounded.
From a distance, the strong concrete columns and the stone base blend into the arid landscape and disappear, leaving the white box to appear to float above the hillside. Terraced stone walls continue weave around the site and continue to connect the building to its surrounding and support the native Muhly grasses. The natural tones of the soft planting marry incredibly well with the variations in the stone, providing the feeling that the structure is one with the landscape.
From a distance, the strong concrete columns and the stone base blend into the arid landscape and disappear, leaving the white box to appear to float above the hillside. Terraced stone walls continue weave around the site and continue to connect the building to its surrounding and support the native Muhly grasses. The natural tones of the soft planting marry incredibly well with the variations in the stone, providing the feeling that the structure is one with the landscape.
Hazelbaker Rush say “natural, honest, somewhat conventional materials are used in slightly unconventional ways to clearly convey a refinement of the vernacular craft.”
For us, it’s the inspiration behind Franklin Mountain House that’s been it’s greatest success. The Southwestern arresting landscape, the nearby abandoned mine, and the arresting rocky ridges are at the core of the design and the initial influences for the use of local stone. Embracing stone and using it so prominently throughout the design has resulted in a successful home that’s sure to launch their architectural practice sky-high.
Hazelbaker Rush say “natural, honest, somewhat conventional materials are used in slightly unconventional ways to clearly convey a refinement of the vernacular craft.”
For us, it’s the inspiration behind Franklin Mountain House that’s been it’s greatest success. The Southwestern arresting landscape, the nearby abandoned mine, and the arresting rocky ridges are at the core of the design and the initial influences for the use of local stone. Embracing stone and using it so prominently throughout the design has resulted in a successful home that’s sure to launch their architectural practice sky-high.
See more of Franklin Mountain House and other projects by Hazelbaker Rush here.
Photography: Casey Dunn