From the very beginning, the Lewis/Colvin residence was thought of as the ideal villa. During the first visit with the clients they clearly stated the need for a modern house made of modern materials. “I don’t understand why people are still building houses out of sticks” they declared. It was our familiarity in adventurous use of commercial construction and materials that sold the clients on our ability to create the house of the new millennium. Thus, the conception of Villa 2K.

A simple program was created and a site was chosen. Located in the Oaklawn Special Purpose District, the site sat up on a hilltop that overlooked downtown Dallas. Though on our first visit, the site was littered with tall grass, a few very tall but very neglected trees, and scrub, we know the site was perfect in size, shape, and orientation. In order to keep from over-building the small .3 acre site, the house would have to go up, which gave the house the height needed to get the skyline view over the surrounding roof tops.

One unique feature of the program that allowed us to stack the house vertically was the planned eight car garage. The clients are classic car collectors and have a menagerie of about twenty automobiles. Though most of the vehicles would be stored off-site, it was decided to have space in the new house to show a handful of their favorites. Reminiscent of Corb’s villas, the garage dominates the first floor, while the living areas are located above on the “piano nobile”.

It is rare that a client has the courage and vision to trust an architect with their dream. In a world full of mundane “custom” homes grounded in post-depression mores and antiquated building techniques, it’s good to know that there are some who want to fly.

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