House of the Rising Son
Met Home of the Month Christopher Robertson’s first major project in Houston is a magnificent venue for charity events—and home to a couple of generous philanthropists the aspiring architect calls Mom and Dad.
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There are lots of ways a new house can enhance a person's life. But James and Carolyn Robertson's new residence—on a prominent lot in Houston's museum district—is enhancing the life of a city.
The Robertsons' double-height living room, with a sleekly curved wraparound mezzanine, can hold 250 people, easy, and the stair landing in the corner of the room (above right) can double as a podium—it's visible from both the upper and lower levels. Among those who have spoken on that landing is Illinois senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama, for whom the Robertsons hosted a successful fund-raiser in June.
There have also been events here for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the local parks conservancy, the Texas Institute for Rehabilitation and Research (giving Carolyn, who was treated there after a brain hemorrhage last year, a chance to offer thanks) and other organizations. The Robertsons (he's a lawyer; she's a computer programmer) have always been civic-minded, but their new house, they say, has given them the chance to do more for the causes they believe in.
If the house has helped the couple connect with the community, it has also helped them connect with their son, Christopher, who designed it—his first major project in Houston, where he grew up. Until his parents beckoned, he and a partner ran a small practice in Austin that had won a number of design awards. Now he joins a long roster of master builders who have designed homes for their parents, including Robert Venturi, Charles Gwathmey and Richard Meier. And, like theirs, his debut is auspicious.
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