Jylian

My summer spent at SHM was an incredible experience, teaching me not only about the field of architecture but also helping me grow as an architectural designer. I have countless amazing memories from this summer and I am so grateful for the opportunities that SHM provided me as an intern. I was able to contribute to real-world projects, attend client meetings, go to many job sites, and observe SHM’s values firsthand. I have to say, though, that the most unique and freeing experience of this internship program was the amazing intern project that everyone at SHM has organized.

The process of working on this project and getting to know my client over the summer was incredibly rewarding. Not only did I get to know my client, but I also had the privilege of learning from him as an architect at SHM, which might have been the best part. This project is made up of three “pavilions” connected by long, spanning hallways designed to celebrate both light and rainfall. The most public pavilion encompasses the great room, living room, and kitchen, which open to the loggia, pool, and main courtyard. On one end of this public pavilion is the guest pavilion with guest suites, a bunk room, and an oversized reading nook. On the opposite end is the primary pavilion, containing the primary bedroom, primary bathroom, office space, and private courtyard access.

The celebration of light is accomplished through light monitors located in the two hallways connecting the central public pavilion to the adjacent primary and guest pavilions. Rainfall is celebrated by intentional flooding through a man-made creek, seamlessly linking the three pavilions as water flows across the site and drains into Turtle Creek. The goal of this project was to create a harmonious living space that embraces the beauty of the natural environment, including the site’s topography while maintaining the clean, minimalist lines characteristic of Texas Modernist architecture.