Graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture degree with Highest Honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 1992, David Webber founded Webber + Studio Architects in 1997. David’s distinct perspective has resulted in his award-winning work appearing in more than 70 local, national and international publications. An active member of the AIA, David frequently participates as a juror, panelist, presenter, and lecturer. Since 1998 his homes have been featured regularly on the AIA Austin Home Tours, including a residence scheduled for this year’s home tour in October.
MA: “Would you describe yourself as a modernist architect?”
David: “I think of myself more as a minimalist rather than a modernist.”
MA: “How would you define the difference?”
David: “Modern architecture is a style, while minimal is a way of thinking. Architecture is an expression in solving functionalism. But even traditional architecture can be minimal depending on the way it is handled. I’m really interested in the concept of beauty in architecture, in challenging the concept of pretty because the longevity of architecture lies in something being beautiful rather than pretty.”
(Graciosa Cove Residence. Photo: Paul Bardagjy)
MA: “Isn’t ‘beauty in the eye of the beholder’?”
David: “Our concepts of ‘pretty’ and ‘beautiful’ change over time. I’m very comfortable with things that are not yet accepted as beautiful, in the idea of prescribing a different sense of beauty and reality, and in unconventional beauty. I like things that are different and unusual, the odd and the smart and the exaggerated, in the idea that beauty is something that is revealed in the process, that things become beautiful because they are unusual. Architecture is expressive of people’s needs. People don’t fit into boxes. We have imperfections and our personalities help define beauty.”
MA: “How does this inform the client relationship?”
David: “We neither focus on pretty and we do not ignore it. I don’t have preconceived ideas of where the design should go on a project. That’s part of the adventure in design. We must ask ourselves what is the right answer to the problem, rather than force a commitment to a preconceived idea. We’re focused on honesty in architecture in that we need to solve a client’s needs, such as light control and space requirements, which we call functionalism, and combine this with expressionism which addresses the building and its design, whether that integrates with the surroundings or sits in contrast to the surrounds but nonetheless enhances the overall site and perspective. To accomplish this we focus on minimalism as a method to reduce the palette and materials to be viewed on their own merit absent of adornment, and we integrate these tenets with regionalism which we define as the using not only local materials but sustainable resources and regional building vernacular. In this way, the project experiences the satisfaction of integration. But we always make a point of listening to our clients because sometimes they have the best ideas.”
(Mount Bonnell Drive Residence. Photo: Casey Dunn)
MA: “What particular aspects of your education contribute to your perspective?”
David: “I was rather nerdy as a young man, always studying and working. My family traveled to Europe, and I was exposed to buildings and culture in Paris, and Switzerland. While studying at UT Austin, I worked in the offices of architects and that provided me with practical knowledge. I was always very focused on my work, on doing it well and on being a good technician. A residency program in Australia was highly influential in terms of understanding harsh native climates and our responsibility in touching and developing the land, highlighting for me the importance of treating the land with delicacy, and integrating the design of buildings.”
MA: “Are there any Austin architects whose work you particularly admire.”
David: “There are many good architects working here but I particularly admire the work of Mell Lawrence, Kevin Alter, Michael Hsu and Burton Baldridge.”
MA: “We understand that you grew up in a home designed by A. D. Stenger (well-known architect and builder working in Austin the 1950s and 1960s). Do you think this influenced you in any way?”
David: “I knew I wanted to be an architect from a very early age but did not know the word for someone who designed homes. I remember asking my father for the definition. Growing up in a ‘mid-century’ home provided a deep understanding of how these homes were imagined, conceived and executed, although I might not have realized it at the time.”
(Tarrytown House. Photo: Casey Dunn)
MA: “What kind of challenges are presented by mid-century homes when considering additions and renovation?
David: “I appreciate the historical aspects of the house and in adding on, sometimes doubling the size, our intent is not to weaken the perspective, so that it takes away from the things you want to highlight. In a renovation, it is the idea that is as important as the renovation itself, and preserving that idea. We often pull things back to a minimal essence in order to preserve. While homes of this period reflected an openness in American culture, curiously some homes were built so that it was not easy to reach the garden or the outside. Renovation and additions present us with the opportunity to connect to the outside. A second chance. Mid-century homes are generally very open, with a few large open spaces but often become a rabbit warren of smaller rooms that present challenges to modern day life. The post and beam construction and large windows can be energy hogs. In a renovation and an addition, we are able to address these issues and to incorporate materials that work both inside and out, unify the transitional spaces, and provide the kind of functional and environmentally responsible living space that is resonant of today.”
(Tarrytown Office. Photo: Paul Bardagjy)
MA: “Do you have a favorite type of project?”
David: “Our work is about 50% residential and 50% commercial and multi-family, and we really enjoy a range of project types, scopes, and scales. Architecture is a craft that takes years to master. As architects, we can advance the profession every day in terms of creating new spaces, define new forms, and this takes us into new territory which is more impactful and that is what I enjoy. To make the changes necessary, towards sustainability, towards avoiding the use of materials that will need to be fixed in the future, towards ambiguity in the concepts of beauty, we need a critical mass and we, as architects, have the job of moving the process forwards for the next generations.”
Georgina O’Hara Callan
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