Sombreada Hasta

2018 Residential Architect Design Awards / Outbuilding / Award

“I think the informality and adaptability of this project are pretty fantastic. These aren’t fancy pants details, but they are very well executed, and there’s a complete elegance to a lot of aspects of this pavilion.” —Stella Betts

Dubbed Sombreada Hasta, or “shaded-up,” this simple 2,400-square-foot pair of pavilions designed by Midland, Texas–based Rhotenberry Wellen Architects on a ranch in Real County, Texas, refers to traditional gathering spaces for cattlemen in the region. Built between two existing agrarian buildings, the larger and taller of the two structures sits within an existing homestead plot wall. Its grid of 16 self-weathering steel columns supports a steal beam system and corrugated roof of the same material. A shipping container beneath the canopy serves as a simple bunkhouse, with storage, a sleeping area, toilet, and lavatory within its enclosure. An outdoor bathing facility sits at the north end of the structure and extends beyond the sheltering canopy’s western edge—with a water counterweight device that raises and lowers privacy panels.

An oculus cut into the very center of the main pavilion’s roof casts wide shadows across the flagstone paving and the shipping container, marking the progression of the day. Cross-bracing cables reinforce the importance of the central void. A circular firepit sits immediately below the round roof opening, allowing the theme of warmth and light to continue through the evening, drawing users to the middle of the composition when the structure’s function shifts from cooling to warming.

The smaller pavilion is composed of a trellis made of the same self-weathering steel as its sibling, and shelters the space between an existing bunkhouse and the main pavilion. Slightly skewed from the geometry of the larger structure, it features a barbecue pit.

While offering shaded protection from the elements, Sombreada Hasta offers generous views of the surrounding landscape of prairie grass and oak trees. It draws on a regional vernacular of simple utilitarian structures, seeming simultaneously primitive and modern.

See the full list of winners of the 2018 Residential Architect Design Awards.

Project Credits
Project: Sombreada Hasta, Real County, Texas
Client: Withheld
Architect: Rhotenberry Wellen Architects, Midland, Texas . Mark Wellen, FAIA, Cale Lancaster, AIA
Structural Engineer: EAKOM Engineering & Consulting
General Contractor: Maguire Construction
Size: 2,400 square feet
Cost: Withheld

Materials and Sources
Bathroom Fixtures: Duravit
Insulation: Spray Foam Insulation
Lighting: RAB Lighting
Roofing: Corrugated Metals
Walls: A/B Douglas Fir Plywood
Windows/Doors: Marvin Windows