Small spaces and modest materials are used to their best advantage in this Houston area residence. Transparency and framed views help to create layers of serene spaces that blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor uses. The unified composition of building and garden is elegantly conceived to work together with simple geometry in an assemblage of pools, terraces, walls, and planting beds. A singular red wall mirrors the use of bright primary colors within the house and draws the eye out into the landscape. At the base of the wall, water cascading from a stainless-steel pipe adds sound and movement to the garden. In contrast, a still, deep blue reflecting pool occupies the center of the garden.

Collectively, the red wall, the deep blue of the pool, and many soft layers of green landscape create a carefully arranged composition, while providing cool and pure spaces that offer respite and inspiration.