Hill View House
Austin
BEST PROJECT
Submitted by: Art Village LLC
Owner: Hill View House
Lead Design Firm: Art Village LLC
General Contractor: Art Village LLC
Challenges in constructing Hill View House started right from the beginning. The house was designed to be built on a slope, and finding a contractor with experience in slope construction proved difficult.
Another issue was that the designers wanted to include many protruding elements, such as canopies, without using columns. Using cantilever structures solved that issue.
The next problem was the cost of wood for the frame, which nearly tripled.
The designers decided to order a steel frame instead. They found a manufacturer in Ukraine who could meet their needs and received the frame after four months. Assembling the frame proved yet another challenge as local contractors lacked significant experience in this specific type of assembly. To solve this challenge, designers had to bring experts from other states to accomplish this task. They also had to hire an engineer to oversee and ensure the frames were constructed properly.
Then, the project’s budget increased because of inflationary pressures during construction.
Photo courtesy Art Village LLC
“This was a significant challenge as we had to find ways to maintain quality while managing rising costs,” Art Village said. “This situation, although difficult, provided a testament to the team’s resilience and ability to think innovatively to solve issues while keeping the project on track.”
Despite the budget pressures, the project remained in the black. Team members attributed the success to “effective teamwork, meticulous planning and careful resource management.”
During the hundreds of thousands of work hours to complete the luxury home, no accidents were recorded.
The company credits a couple of safety measures for that. Firstly, it created its own set of information signs to highlight safety rules and procedures on site, prominently displayed throughout the project area to ensure compliance among team members and contractors.
Secondly, it integrated safety requirements into contracts with all subcontractors. Regular informational meetings on safety protocols enforced this legal stipulation.