Lake LBJ - Renovation & Addition

This recently completed home remodel is in Granite Shoals, Texas on the shores of Lake LBJ. This project has a new garage addition along with an office/exercise room above it all designed to work around a large existing tree. The renovation also includes extending/enhancing the "lake side" living areas to better utilize the lake view. The master bath was also totally redesigned and a large walk in closet was added.

 NEW ELEVATION:


BEFORE - EXISTING ELEVATION:



 NEW ELEVATION:

 

Recently Completed Home - Round Rock, Texas

Construction was recently completed on this Mediterranean Style (all stucco) house designed by Rob Sanders. This home has 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, a study, two dining areas, three living areas and a media room in 5100 sq ft. It also has a 3 car garage with a side entrance mud porch into a mud room. The rear of this home has an extensive outdoor living with outdoor BBQ kitchen and outdoor fireplace. If you are looking for a custom design for your new home, remodel or addition, please consider the services of Rob Sanders Designer. If needed I can assist you with recommendations of a landscape architect or interior designer also.

Construction Complete on two Homes designed under the City of Austins "Mcmansion Ordinance"

Construction was recently completed on two homes created by Rob Sanders Designer under the City of Austins "Mcmansion Ordinance". These homes at 2836 Salado Street & 3510 West Avenue both feature 6 bedrooms with 4 bathrooms in 2600 sq ft.

3510 West Avenue:

From 3510 West Ave. - Austin Mcmansion

From 3510 West Ave. - Austin Mcmansion

2836 Salado Street:

Tankless Water Heater

Rob Sanders Designer recently replaced an 11 year old "tanked water heater" with a "Green Design" Rinnai Tankless Water Heater (R94LSiN). I now enjoy endless hot water along with energy efficient gas savings of around $80/year. In addition I received a $300 cash rebate from the"Texas Appliance Mail-In Rebate Program" (unfortunately this program is now closed). I am also eligible for a similar amount of "Tax Credit" on my next return. The hardest part of the retro was the removal of the old heater from the attic.









In review let me state that location, location, location of the Tankless unit is very important to the length of time it takes to quickly receive the initial hot water. I am very pleased with it's performance and will recommend.

Newly Completed Custom Home - Georgetown, Texas

This Newly Completed Custom Home designed by Rob Sanders was built in the Westlake of the Woods subdivision in Georgetown, Texas.

New McMansion Project - UT University Area

This new home designed by Rob Sanders (to be completed in August 2010) is located at 1008 W 22nd St. Austin, Texas. This Mcmansion Ordinance project is only blocks from the University of Texas campus and will be utilized mainly as a student rental. This house plan has 6 bedrooms and 3.5 baths If you are looking for a custom design for your Central Austin new home or remodel addition, please consider the services of Rob Sanders Designer.

Game Room and Master Suite Addition

Here is a example of a unique design by Rob Sanders Designer. This existing home has lake access on its side border with many large cypress trees to be saved. Trees, views, access to the lake, even egress from an existing guest house had to be preserved. The client wanted to add a modern master suite and study along with a spacious game room cabana and outdoor living that is accessible to the water and its view. If you have a difficult remodel, addition or new construction project. Please consider Rob Sanders Design Services to meet your needs.

Papercrete Block Construction

From Papercrete Block Construction

        Papercrete (aka fibrous cement) today is being rediscovered as a "new" alternative green building material. Papercrete has been termed by some as a "modern day adobe." Papercrete can be made into blocks or poured into forms to make a monolithic wall. The material is homemade and consists of paper (3 parts), clay/dirt and sand (2 parts), and Portland cement (1 part). The paper used can be almost anything; newspaper, junk mail, cardboard, etc. Sand or sandy dirt is usually found on site. Dried, ready-to-use papercrete has a rough surface. This increases its surface area and provides a very strong bond from one block to the next. One way to recycle paper is to build with it.

        INSULATION VALUE - up to R-2.8 per inch, depending on density and ingredients (comparable to fiberglass at R-3.0 per inch). Papercrete walls are typically 10 to 12 inches thick.

From Papercrete Block Construction

LIGHTWEIGHT - most papercrete weighs 15 to 20 lbs. per cubic foot, depending on density and mix. (Concrete weighs137 lbs per cubic foot.) Almost anyone can lift and build with papercrete blocks. Unlike concrete or adobe, papercrete blocks are lightweight, less than a third of the weight of a comparably-sized adobe brick. Papercrete is mold resistant and has utility as a sound-proofing material. After construction is complete and the walls are dry, the exterior needs to be sealed by applying a stucco plaster and then painted to waterproof.

From Papercrete Block Construction

Hyde Park Duplex

Rob Sanders Designer recently completed plans for a Town-home style Duplex to be built at 4810 Rowena Street. This Hyde Park Duplex was designed and permitted under the City of Austin's "McMansion Ordinance". This project is due to began construction in early 2010. The street side unit (Unit A) will have a cozy courtyard entry surrounded by large Pecan and Elm trees The rear unit (Unit B) is also designed around a large Elm tree and its yard backs up to a greenbelt/park. Unit A is a 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths at 1862 sq ft. Unit B is a (completely different layout) 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths at 1807 sq ft. Both units have an attached (private) 1 car garage with storage. If you have a challenging or complex site (inside or outside the "City of Austin") please consider the design services of Rob Sanders.

Completed McMansion Project

This home designed by Rob Sanders at 303 Zennia Street was recently completed under the City of Austin's McMansion guidelines. This house is conveniently located near the UT Intramural Fields and will be used primarily as a rental to college students. I designed this house plan with 6 bedrooms, 4 baths in 2600 sq ft.

New Exterior Remodel

Rob Sanders Designer recently completed design of an new exterior renovation. I designed the original home/elevation 10 years ago. The new homeowners wanted a fresh update to their recent purchase. They asked me to make the front focal point of the elevation taller, and also transform the entry into a grand foyer as well. As detailed by the pictures, this was accomplished easily and simply.

Before Remodel:


During Elevation Remodel:


After Elevation Remodel:


After Elevation Remodel:


If you have an remodel or addition project in mind, give me a call or drop me an email:(info@robsandersdesigner.com). I would be glad to give you a free site analysis and consultation of your renovation needs.

New Custom Home - Under Construction

This new design is currently being built in the "Westlake of The Woods" subdivision in Georgetown, Texas

The Benefits of Detailed Home Plans

Sometimes when an individual wants to have a luxury home built he or she has difficulty communicating with a builder about precisely what the individual has envisioned: this breakdown in communication can result in trouble later on during the building process as the builder may find it difficult to meet the demands of the client. Home building plans help to solidify the communication between client and builder and the client can show the builder what they envision with precise and accurate home building plans.



Home building plans detail every aspect of a home, both interior wise as well as exterior wise. Home building plans can also be used to get price quotes from builders; the potential luxury home owner can go to one or more builders, request quotes based on the plans offered and get the best price for the home that he or she has envisioned. In addition, price quotes, when based on home building plans are far more accurate because a builder can readily determine exactly how much material will be needed to finish the project correctly. Rob Sanders Designer can provide you with these detailed drawings at a reasonable fee.

Kitchen Remodel & Additions

A new (remodeled) kitchen is an opportunity to introduce a dramatic, hand-crafted aesthetic into the heart of your home. Effective work triangles and modern appliances are important, but the secret to a stand-out kitchen's success is achieving a space that reflects honest materials and well-crafted detailing at every turn. This is where Rob Sanders Designer can help you with your renovation dreams. Achieving a stand-out kitchen project may require sourcing diverse craftspeople to undertake every aspect of the job – but this can be costly in terms of time and money. A more effective approach may be to choose a designer that offers skilled experience to every aspect of the project!

BEFORE

From Llamas Remodel

AFTER

From Llamas Remodel

Your home is your sanctuary

Your home is your haven - your sanctuary - where you can be you. Whether you want old world charm on the outside with seclusion, peace, and tranquility on the inside, or a flashy contemporary facade with wide open entertaining spaces, turning your dreams into a design that fits you and your distinctive lifestyle is my goal. Please explore this site, and see what Rob Sanders Designer can do for you.

From 2004 Parade of Homes, Austin, Texas (Greenshores) Barefoot Cove

Green Building

From The Hollows at Northshore, Lake Travis, Austin, Texas

Current trends with new home buyers and builders center around building an environmentally sensitive home. This can be accomplished by taking advantage of a site's inherent ecological characteristics, carefully selecting building materials so energy is efficiently used during the lifetime of the home, and many other methods. This focus is also known as green building.

In this age of everything green, it is wise to analyze your building, design and selection process with a fresh approach and put together your own green team. I suggest we take a whole-house systems approach to building green. Commit to educating yourself on the many details and benefits of owning a green, durable and energy-efficient home and then we can communicate this understanding and belief to the team players. Together we can deliver a home design that is healthier to live in and more energy efficient.

The builder is the green team coach and quarterback. It is this person's job to assemble the most knowledgeable team players, to understand the cost benefits of each system feature and to help educate the owner as to which features are most beneficial while balancing the owner's budget and design criteria.
The green team's players are your suppliers and subcontractors.
Your green team is owned by the client (if you are building custom), or by the builder (if building a spec). The owner makes the main decisions that affect the budget which have a major impact on both project costs and long-term energy efficiency.

The Building Designer is the green team manager and assists with designing green in many areas. He may minimize the size and quantity of north-facing windows while maximizing the number of windows that face south, thereby increasing the passive solar efficiency of the home. He might explain the advantages of spraying sealant around all windows and doors as the most economical investment for saving fuel. The designer and builder should understand the energy benefits and cost implications of different insulation methods such as fiberglass batt, blown wet-spray cellulose, blown-in blanket-spray fiberglass and polyurethane foam insulation. He may also specify gravel or a brick paver driveways, then the site will have less impervious coverage and less impact on the surrounding areas for runoff and flooding.
One excellent resource for improving your knowledge of green building is the U.S. Green Building Council (usgbc.org) which runs the LEED for Homes program; LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Each green team member must do his part to build green. The knowledge of each team member will determine the extent to which your finished home is environmentally sensitive. Although it is the builder's responsibility to be ready and able to advise the client of the costs and benefits of each selection, it ultimately is the owner's decision to select green features.

Green building is here to stay and it will be the standard practice of designing and building in the near future. We are in the beginning stages of transitioning to green and it will take time, patience and commitment to do it right.

Austin McMansion Ordinance

BEFORE



Rob Sanders Custom Home & Building Designer recently completed work on two projects under the City of Austins "McMansion Ordinance" requirements. The first project (4514 Depew Avenue) is a 1-story home with a 2-story garage apartment behind it (facing an alley). The second project (4810 Rowena Street) is a new duplex in Hyde Park. This duplex was designed on a previous single family lot. The lot slopes with many trees that had to be saved. This was achieved, along with meeting the proper guidelines for Impervious Cover, F.A.R. (floor to area ratio), and Setback/Articulation as required by the Austin McMansion Ordinance. The project also met the rules of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association. If you fall under the McMansion jurisdiction (Central Austin) and need plans for a new home, remodel or addition, please consider the services of Rob Sanders Design.

AFTER

The Process of Design

The process of design entails inventing a plan that becomes a solution for you. In this case, the solution is a house plan or remodel/addition plan that fits your wants, needs, and distinctive lifestyle. But it also has to encompass things such as size and physical features of your lot, building codes, Homeowner’s Association requirements, setback requirements, etc. The plan is then translated through the process of drafting into a set of construction documents that is used for estimating, bidding, permitting, and construction purposes to ultimately result in a home that fits you and your family’s lifestyle like a glove. Rob Sanders Designer is experienced
in helping you traverse this process.

Passion For Design

My passion for design indicates to a homeowner that I take complete interest in developing their dream. I realize creating your custom home is a very personal and exciting experience that I enjoy as much as my clients. We begin a special relationship the moment I come to understand your lifestyles and functions as a family. I strive to make our experience together memorable, showing great pride and purpose in the home we create. Let Rob Sanders Designer help make your dream a reality!

Achieve a Client’s Vision

“My number one goal is to achieve a client’s vision. I am highly disciplined and extremely focused on my design work. I build around light and try to accentuate the natural source of light, and, if I have to, I alter the interior architecture to accomplish this. Furthermore, I will not compromise on lines of site within the structure. That is to assure that site lines are visually appealing across open spaces and not directly exposed to a bathroom or private area (bedroom), and I think my clients appreciate this.” Rob Sanders Custom Home Designer serves Central Texas and the Hill Country.