The Charles Moore Foundation Compound
When Charles Moore accepted an invitation in 1984 to come to Austin and develop a new graduate program at the University of Texas, it became another opportunity to develop yet another architectural practice. Like those that preceded this one—MLTW: Moore, Lyndon, Turnbull and Whitaker; Moore Grover Harper; Centerbrook; Urban Innovations Group; and Moore Ruble Yudell—what would ultimately become Moore/Andersson Architects began with the act of making a house, the seventh that Moore would design for himself. The place would center Moore's hectic life and work, but connect the work to the sense of being in one of Austin's prized neighborhoods (Tarrytown), the larger sense of the Hill Country, and the even larger sense of Texas itself.
Moore and the partner in this venture, architect Arthur Andersson, arrived to a neighborhood that had been traumatized by the construction of MoPac, a state freeway that was promoted by politicians and transportation authorities as a "boulevard" but lamentably devolved into a standard concrete high-speed corridor with nary a tree, sidewalk, or intersection in site, let alone any of the charm or prestige or romance that "boulevard" calls to mind. Although Moore's site was directly adjacent to the freeway and its menacingly named "feeder road" (Winsted), the property, an acre-sized slope was shielded by at least some of the noise and pollution by a grove of fine trees, and a greensward along a nearby creek, along which a public trail runs.
Moore understood the apprehensiveness of his new neighbors, who were fiercely protective of what remained of the "soul" of their violated neighborhood. What he did not want to do was declare his tenancy with a monument.
Instead, he wanted to make a place that would respect the scale and patterns of the neighborhood, and unobtrusively tuck under the limbs of the stately Post and Shumard Oaks. And even though the careworn 1930's-era bungalow on the property (that had succumbed to a "ranch" addition in the 1940's) offered little in the way of promise, Moore felt it was important not to sweep in and erase the house, but keep it intact as a reminder of the site's history.
For starters, the notion of a "compound" seemed right, since Moore and Andersson could break down the mass—two homes and a studio—into constituent parts, thereby reducing the apparent scale. "Compound" also implied a loose confederation of buildings that could take advantage of connections and overlaps to create what Moore often described as "chances for encounter". Ever since childhood road trips throughout the West, and through to his Master's thesis at Princeton, which focused on the Spanish adobes of Monterey, California, Moore was always interested in the Hispanic antecedents of American architecture. The idea of the courtyard, into which the attention and life of the inhabitants could focus, protected by a thick-walled shell, still seemed a worthy model, given Austin's temperate climate.
Moore was also fascinated by what might be considered the antipodes of the Texas Hispanic typology, the German or Prussian or Alsatian vestige of the thin-walled dwelling, built as clusters of small, toy-like structures in communities surrounding Austin. Instead of focusing inward, these houses turned their attention outward, to the land the inhabitants came to tend as farmers or ranchers, by means of porches, windows, dog-trots, lean-to's, gables and dormers.
In only the way that Moore was able, he took these two contrary architectural idioms and fused the vernacular voices to make a place special to Texas, but "uniquely his own." (Strong helpings of Soane, Maybeck, Schinkel, Pompeii, Sherwood Ranch, Vierzehnheiligen, Bantry House, and Kyoto were added to the mix!) Binding all these metaphors was the sense of the building as geode. The whole compound would be sheathed in plainspoken board and batten, painted taupe to emphasize the foliage, preferring reticence to self-importance. But upon entry, each layer gets looser and freer and more festive, until the act of crossing Moore's threshold unleashes what Paul Goldberger once described as "mad magnificence." Thwarting all expectations of the shell's equanimity, the inner sanctum is encrusted with Moore's collection folk art and toys, the crystals of the geode. This is the place that Charles Moore called home for the last ten years of his life, where he centered his many activities, ideas, friends, colleagues, and students, and where he connected to the bigger picture.
The Charles Moore Foundation welcomes visitors. Due to its limited staff and its residency program, architecture tours are available by appointment only. Tours include the Charles Moore House and Studio; the Andersson House and the Cube Loft are included based on the foundation's residency schedule. Tours typically take 1 hour.
For more information please visit www.charlesmoore.org or email director@charlesmoore.org
New Article on MUNY in Next Month's WANG Newsletter !
...HISTORY WORTH SAVING...
“Muny” is a beloved urban green space and civil rights landmark worthy of protection. Save Muny is dedicated to saving Lions Municipal Golf Course from development and preserving its urban green space, civil rights history, and golf legacy for the enjoyment of future generations of Austinites.
WANG APRIL 2018 Meeting Minutes
WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, April 3, 2018
These are the minutes of the meeting of the West Austin Neighborhood Group Board of Directors held Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at 6:30 p.m., at the Howson Public Library.
I. Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 6:35 PM by President Cathy Kyle. Board members in
attendance included: Mary Arnold, Joyce Basciano, Joe Bennett, George Edwards, August Harris, Haidar Khazen, Craig Lill, Holly Reed and Blake Tollett. Board members Elizabeth Adams, Mike Cannatti were not in attendance.
II. Approval of Minutes:
August Harris made a motion to approve the March 6, 2018 Meeting Minutes. The motion was seconded by Holly Reed, and approved unanimously.
III. Neighbor Communications:
August Harris reported on the final approval for construction to begin at The Grove.
IV. Land Matters:
The Board discussed some sight line problems with a fence at 2700 Mountain Laurel Dr. as well as 3300 Greenlee.
V. Transportation:
Joyce Basciano told the Board that Cap Metro will not be eliminating the 21/22 route but will change its name to the “335” and reduce its route in Tarrytown. She also noted that the City of Austin wants to take over the planning along core corridors in neighborhoods where Neighborhood Plans include the corridors.
VI. Membership:
Joe Bennett reported that the WANG membership continues to grow steadily, and that he believes the New revamped on-line Newsletter is helping to spread the word. He informed the Board that he is planning to send an on-line reminder (flyer) to current members reminding them when to renew. Most members currently renew annually in November of each year.
VII. Newsletter:
Joe Bennett reported that 563 visits were made to the e-Newsletter.
Haidar Khazen proposed WANG move to an online only MONTHLY Newsletter, and have semi- annual print Newsletters sent to the entire WANG area. An announcement will be made in the May Newsletter. Content for the May Newsletter is due April 13. The Board discussed the content for the May Newsletter, and agreed to include an article about CodeNext and the upcoming dates for Council readings, an article informing the neighborhoods about the Brackenridge Tract, and continuing Neighborhood History articles.
VIII. ANC Liaison Report:
CodeNext: Joyce Basciano reported that Joe Reynolds, an Allandale resident, spoke at the Environmental Commission’s Development Committee meeting about how impervious cover percentage is misused in CodeNext Draft 3, and poses localized flooding issues in neighborhoods with inappropriate development.
Joyce also reported that an in-depth assessment of CodeNEXT Draft 3, given by Barbara McArthur, Community Not Commodity, at the ANC March general membership meeting, can be found at
https://communitynotcommodity.com/wp-content/uploads/CodeNEXTV3v6.pdf
CodeNEXT Draft 3 has many errors and inconsistencies. Erica Leak, Manager for Housing Policy, Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Dept. gave an update on CodeNext’s Affordable Housing Bonus Program (AHBP). The AHBP is proving to be as complex as CodeNEXT. This is counter to the intent of the Land Development Code (LDC) rewrite which was supposed to produce a simpler, easier to understand LDC.
IX. Treasurer’s Report:
George Edwards email reported that WANG has $9059.99 in the Business Account, $495.36 in the Tarrytown 4th of July Parade Account, and $1,207.05 in the Oak Wilt Account.
X. Old Business:
A. CodeNext: Mary Arnold suggested WANG contact the Public Library and request that a copy of CodeNext Draft 3 be made available at Howson Branch Library. Imagine Austin Plan and the Central West Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan are both available at Howson for the public to read.
B. Brackenridge Tract: The WANG Board will be sharing information as it becomes
available, regarding the termination of the Brackenridge Development Agreement,
between the City of Austin and The University of Texas, in May 2019.
XI. New Business:
A. Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 1st 2018 at 6:00 PM at Lions Municipal Golf Course.
XII. Adjourn: The meeting was adjourned by President Cathy Kyle at 8:06 PM
District 10 update.....
District 10 Council Member Alison Alter, City of Austin City Council
District 10 Office Hours - April 19 at Russell’s Bakery
Dear Neighbors,
Happy Friday! On Thursday, April 19, District 10 staff will be holding office hours at Russell’s Bakery on Hancock Drive. This is an opportunity for folks to chat with D10 staff about any ideas, concerns, or general comments they may have without having to make the trek to City Hall.
District 10 communications and policy staff will be at Russell’s from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for informal discussions about a range of city-related topics. Since both policy advisors will be available, Thursday’s office hours are a great time to give input and have questions answered about CodeNEXT, the City’s budget process, the 2018 bond package, and more. If you have a few minutes during your lunch break, please feel free to swing by Russell’s and meet with D10 staff.
We’re looking forward to seeing you!
Thursday, April 19, 2018 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Russell’s Bakery (3339 Hancock Drive, 78731)
#ATXundocked: Austin asking for public input on dockless mobility
Austin Transportation is gearing up to have the community test out new dockless mobility options, but first we're asking the community what they want out of the upcoming pilot.
We kicked off our engagement effort last Wednesday with a Dockless Bike-share Community Forum, where attendees rated bike-share company pitches in real time, completed surveys about bike-share in Austin and asked policy experts from Seattle, San Francisco and Austin for their thoughts and experiences related to bike-share. If you missed the event, you can watch the Facebook Live recordings of the pitch session, panel and survey.
Since the launch, we have expanded our dockless bike-share public engagement process to include electric scooters.
Community Listening Sessions
Austin Transportation is hosting community listening sessions at locations throughout Austin for the rest of the month and asking for feedback. Drop by these open houses at any time to give us your thoughts on dockless mobility in Austin:
- Mon., April 16 – 6-7 p.m., Willie Mae Kirk Library, 3101 Oak Springs Dr.
- Sat., April 21 – 12 p.m., Earth Day ATX, Huston-Tillotson University, 900 Chicon St.
- Sat., April 28 – 2:30-4 p.m., Twin Oaks Library, 1800 South 5th St.
CODENEXT DRAFT 3 AVAILABLE NOW
Draft 3 of CodeNEXT, the staff recommendation, was released Monday, Feb. 12. To learn more about the new draft, visit AustinTexas.Gov/Codenext.
To view and comment on the code, visit codenext.civicomment.org.
To view and comment on the map, visit codenext.engagingplans.org.
Download the full copy of the code here.
Because this is the staff recommendation, all comments received on this draft will be compiled and provided to the Austin City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Zoning and Platting Commission for further deliberation.
Letters to the Board.....
This is Stephanie Lott with the Watershed Protection Department. I wanted to give you and the West Austin Neighborhood Group a heads up that we are planning a public meeting about the Meredith Street Flood Risk Reduction project.
We’ve got the meeting room reserved at the Howson Branch Library for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, May 7. This will be an informational meeting, since it has been a couple of years since we met with the community. We’ve nearly completed the design of the project and will be starting to permit it soon. The purpose of the project is to reduce the risk of flooding in the area around Meredith Street and Rockmoor Ave. We’ll be upgrading and expanding the storm drain system.
I’m planning to send out meeting notices, an email to our stakeholder group and post the meeting on Next Door, starting next week. The project website is at http://www.austintexas.gov/department/meredith-street-storm-drain-improvements.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Stephanie Lott
Public Information Specialist Sr.
Watershed Protection Department
512-974-2799
Utilities:
Texas Gas Service.............................1-800-700-2443
Grande Communications...................512-220-4600
AT&T (new service)...........................1-800-464-7928
Time Warner Cable (Cust. Svc)...........512-485-5555
Austin/Travis Hazardous Waste.........512-974-4343
