The Stretto House in Dallas, Texas has received the 25-Year Award in residential architecture from AIA Dallas. Built in 1991, the house is composed of a series of concrete "spatial dams" with metal framed "aqueous space" flowing through them. Water from adjacent ponds pour over existing dams to reflect the landscape outside and the spaces overlapping inside.
The Stretto House is inspired by Bartok's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste. Formed in four sections, the building consists of two modes: heavy orthogonal masonry and light, curvilinear metal. The main house is aqueous space: floor planes pull one space to the next, roof planes pull space over walls and an arched wall pulls light from a skylight. Materials continue the concept in poured concrete, cast glass in fluid shapes, slumped glass and liquid terrazzo.
Steven Holl Architects worked with local architect Max Levy FAIA on the project, who is being honored by AIA Dallas with the O'Neil Ford Medal. Learn more about CELEBRATE ARCHITECTURE and the other award recipients here.