Inspiring Houses: The Homes of Stephen Atkinson

We're riding the small house wave.

Stephen Atkinson, a Baton Rouge native, designs houses that speak to me.


Studio Atkinson, his small firm, is based in Palo Alto, California and takes projects across the globe. They've gotten a boatload of press. The portfolio is pretty impressive considering the age of the firm.

The goal of the firm is the create authentic architecture, and I believe it shows. Nothing superfluous. Just good architecture.

Much of the work has the purity and simplicity of Hugh Newell Jacobsen.

Atkinson designed one of my favorite houses of all time:

This dogtrot design was built for the architect's parents in Louisiana. The house is so simple that it is magnificent.

Based on a spiritual principle, the house forms a cruciform shape and and has an almost monastic simplicity:

The design reflects the vernacular architecture, functions very well as a weekend retreat, and has a meaningful premise. Nice.

The interior spaces are beautifully proportioned:

And it even looks good stuffed with stuff:

The house functions well. As seen in a photo above, the side "windows" are translucent corrugated panels. The end windows can be covered completely with swinging doors to provide security during absences:

And it has a very cool outdoor fireplace.

I've considered asking him if he'd sell me the plans to reproduce the house on my family's East Texas farm. I like it (and his work in general) that much.

Check it out.