Cypress, naturally, is the theme that ties Verde Creek Ranch Boathouse to its location. A shared amenity for the three siblings who own the ranch, it references the land’s cypress trees, which also inspired Lake | Flato’s treatment of the family cabins nearby. Here, the architects’ open-ended mandate was to provide not only a place to stack kayaks and paddleboards but to celebrate the glories of a lazy Texas lake. Sited near a giant oak and existing deck where the clients have picnics, the boathouse straddles the coastal zone between the restored landscape and the water. Its roof pitches up to the north, shading the occupants from the hot sun. “It’s lovely how the boathouse lifts to the view yet has some enclosure,” a judge commented.
From a distance the building appears light and transparent, like a dragonfly skimming the liquid surface. Along the gangway, boats are stored in a cypress-slatted enclosure opposite the slips. An outdoor grill area sits along the corridor next to the screened porch. This space is defined by a thickened, cypress-clad western wall containing storage closets on the outside and a kitchenette on the inside—just big enough for a stainless steel countertop, sink, and undercounter fridge. Behind the screened porch is a more exposed sunbathing porch. And a lower dock sits on floaters, allowing it to rise and fall with the water level. “Each family had some requests, and one of them wanted to be able to jump off the roof into the water,” Laura says. Other family members vetoed that idea, but as a compromise the architects gave them a diving platform out on the lake.
A world unto itself, “the boathouse sits so slightly on the landscape, it’s almost weightless,” a judge said. “It’s kind of like a dock or pier that got made into a building.”
Honor Award
Custom Accessory or Outbuilding
Lake | Flato Architects
Verde Creek Boathouse
Center Point, Texas
Project Credits
Architect: Ted Flato, FAIA, principal in charge; Laura Kaupp Jensen, AIA, project manager; Sam Xu, AIA, Megan Toma, AIA, project designers, Lake | Flato Architects, San Antonio, Texas
Builder: Duecker Construction, Stonewall, Texas
Interior designer: Schooler, Kellogg & Co., Dallas
Landscape architect: Studio Outside, Dallas
Project size: 2,722 square feet
Site size: 2,000 acres
Construction cost: Withheld
Photography: Casey Dunn
Key Products
Cabinetry and door hardware: Sugatsune, Emtek
Cabinetry and millwork: Cypress
Ceiling fan: MinkaAire
Countertops: Stainless steel
Floating dock: AccuDock
Lighting: BK Lighting, Barn Light Electric
Outdoor grill: DCS
Roofing: Paint grip metal roof
Wood siding/slats: Cypress
Wood stain: Valhalla