David Heymann
Encyclopedia
David Heymann is an American
architect who was commissioned by President
George W. Bush
to design an environmentally friendly
house for the Prairie Chapel Ranch
near Crawford, Texas
.
He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from The Cooper Union
in 1984. After receiving his B.Arch., he worked for Tod Williams and Associates, and I.M. Pei and Partners. He received his Masters of Architecture Degree from the Graduate School of Design
at Harvard University
in 1988. Heymann first taught at Iowa State University
, and was the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at The University of Texas at Austin
. He is currently a Professor for several architecture courses at the University of Texas.
architect".
According to Heymann, he tries to design buildings that fit in with their surroundings. He says that sustainability is important to him on a personal level. Heymann has said:
for inclusion in its Emerging Voices series.
He is the recipient of the 2002 award for Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions from the Texas Society of Architects
, and he was selected as a visiting scholar by the American Academy in Rome
for 2002-2003.
He is the recipient of the 17th annual Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship (FCTF). The fellowship comes with a $12,000 cash honorarium which is the University's largest for undergraduate teaching excellence. The Fellowship is funded by earnings from the nearly $500,000 FCTF endowment. Professor Heymann is the first person from the School of Architecture to receive the award. The Friar's award is one of 8 teaching awards he has received while at the University of Texas. He has also been elected to the University’s Academy of Distinguished Teaching Professors.
. Since the building was built, the trio has also received an honor award from the American Institute of Architects
, the professional organization for architect
s in the United States
. The design was also the winner of a Progressive Architecture Design Award Citation.
Heymann was selected by George W. Bush
and Laura Bush
to design a 4,000 ft² honey-colored native limestone
environmentally-friendly single-level home on the Prairie Chapel Ranch
, which served as their home away from the White House
. A 10 foot (3 m) wide limestone porch encircles the house. The property was referred to as the Western White House
and as the Texas White House.
According to Heymann, the four-bedroom home was planned so that "every room has a relationship with something in the landscape that's different from the room next door. Each of the rooms feels like a slightly different place." In order to help the house blend in with its surroundings, Heymann selected limestone quarried very near the location of the house. The pieces used are left-over pieces from other cuttings, making an environmental statement about conserving resources. "They cut the top and bottom of it off because nobody really wants it," Heymann says. "So we bought all this throwaway stone. It's fabulous. It's got great color and it is relatively inexpensive."
Both the main house and the guest house use geothermal
energy for their heating and cooling and require 25% less energy usage than a conventional heating and cooling system. The main residence, including the kitchen, dining room, and living room/family room use a two-speed, 6-ton water-source heat pump designed to handle up to 75 guests. The president’s office, master bedroom, and bathroom use a 3-ton water-source heat pump. The guest house uses a separate 2.5-ton unit. These heat pumps circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet (100 m) deep in the ground. Underground, the water remains a constant 67 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that pure water can be used without the use of antifreeze.
The passive solar house is positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls of the residence. A 25,000 US gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof urns; wastewater from sinks, toilets, and showers cascades into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the four-bedroom home.
"One thing we wanted was to make sure the house fit into the landscape," Laura Bush says. "I think it does, with the low house and the native limestone that looks very natural. It also takes advantage of the landscape with all the views." The view played an important role in situating and designing the house, as did the breezes and the direction of the sun. During the design process, Heymann would outline potential layouts in the ground and the Bushes would stand there visualizing what the house would look like in each setting.
The final design takes maximum advantage of the breeze by being long and narrow - most of the house is only one room wide. The house is surrounded by a porch, which shades the house from direct sun in the summer and provides a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors. Most traffic between rooms goes via the porch, although there are some interior doors. There are no stairs or thresholds, Laura Bush points out. "We wanted our older parents to feel comfortable here," she says. "We also want to grow old here ourselves." Heymann says, "The house doesn't hold you in. Where the porch ends there is grass. There is no step-up at all." President Bush has said Heymann "did a fabulous job" with the house.
with his wife, Sandra Fiedorek, and their two children, Walter, and Helen.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
architect who was commissioned by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to design an environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly
Environmentally friendly are terms used to refer to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies claimed to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment....
house for the Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre ranch in unincorporated McLennan County, Texas, located seven miles northwest of Crawford. The property was acquired by President George W...
near Crawford, Texas
Crawford, Texas
Crawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
.
He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree from The Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
in 1984. After receiving his B.Arch., he worked for Tod Williams and Associates, and I.M. Pei and Partners. He received his Masters of Architecture Degree from the Graduate School of Design
Harvard Graduate School of Design
The Harvard Graduate School of Design is a graduate school at Harvard University offering degrees in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning and Design.-History:...
at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1988. Heymann first taught at Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
, and was the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
. He is currently a Professor for several architecture courses at the University of Texas.
Approach to architecture
The Audubon Society selected Heymann to design their new interpretive visitor center at Sabal Palm Grove Sanctuary. Audubon Magazine writer Patricia Sharpe calls him a "well known greenEnvironmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
architect".
According to Heymann, he tries to design buildings that fit in with their surroundings. He says that sustainability is important to him on a personal level. Heymann has said:
General honors
In 2000, Heymann was selected by the Architectural League of New YorkArchitectural League of New York
The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization "for creative and intellectual work in architecture, urbanism, and related disciplines"....
for inclusion in its Emerging Voices series.
He is the recipient of the 2002 award for Award for Outstanding Educational Contributions from the Texas Society of Architects
Texas Society of Architects
The Texas Society of Architects is an organization based in Austin, Texas, that represents 74,000 architects in Texas that are members of the American Institute of Architects....
, and he was selected as a visiting scholar by the American Academy in Rome
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy in Rome is a research and arts institution located on the Gianicolo in Rome.- History :In 1893, a group of American architects, painters and sculptors met regularly while planning the fine arts section of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition...
for 2002-2003.
He is the recipient of the 17th annual Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship (FCTF). The fellowship comes with a $12,000 cash honorarium which is the University's largest for undergraduate teaching excellence. The Fellowship is funded by earnings from the nearly $500,000 FCTF endowment. Professor Heymann is the first person from the School of Architecture to receive the award. The Friar's award is one of 8 teaching awards he has received while at the University of Texas. He has also been elected to the University’s Academy of Distinguished Teaching Professors.
Commissions and design awards
Heymann and fellow architects Michael Underhill and Laura Miller won a design citation from Progressive Architecture magazine in 1994 for their design of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, IowaAmes, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
. Since the building was built, the trio has also received an honor award from the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, the professional organization for architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The design was also the winner of a Progressive Architecture Design Award Citation.
The Western White House
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
to design a 4,000 ft² honey-colored native limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
environmentally-friendly single-level home on the Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre ranch in unincorporated McLennan County, Texas, located seven miles northwest of Crawford. The property was acquired by President George W...
, which served as their home away from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. A 10 foot (3 m) wide limestone porch encircles the house. The property was referred to as the Western White House
Western White House
The Western White House is a term applied to additional residencies of the President of the United States. It was used for the Crawford, Texas ranch of George W. Bush, known as Prairie Chapel Ranch, and has also been used by other chief executives for their homes, including Presidents Lyndon B....
and as the Texas White House.
According to Heymann, the four-bedroom home was planned so that "every room has a relationship with something in the landscape that's different from the room next door. Each of the rooms feels like a slightly different place." In order to help the house blend in with its surroundings, Heymann selected limestone quarried very near the location of the house. The pieces used are left-over pieces from other cuttings, making an environmental statement about conserving resources. "They cut the top and bottom of it off because nobody really wants it," Heymann says. "So we bought all this throwaway stone. It's fabulous. It's got great color and it is relatively inexpensive."
Both the main house and the guest house use geothermal
Geothermal heating
Geothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal energy for heating applications. Humans have taken advantage of geothermal heat this way since the Paleolithic era. Approximately seventy countries made direct use of a total of 270 PJ of geothermal heating in 2004...
energy for their heating and cooling and require 25% less energy usage than a conventional heating and cooling system. The main residence, including the kitchen, dining room, and living room/family room use a two-speed, 6-ton water-source heat pump designed to handle up to 75 guests. The president’s office, master bedroom, and bathroom use a 3-ton water-source heat pump. The guest house uses a separate 2.5-ton unit. These heat pumps circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet (100 m) deep in the ground. Underground, the water remains a constant 67 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that pure water can be used without the use of antifreeze.
The passive solar house is positioned to absorb winter sunlight, warming the interior walkways and walls of the residence. A 25,000 US gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof urns; wastewater from sinks, toilets, and showers cascades into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is then used to irrigate the landscaping around the four-bedroom home.
"One thing we wanted was to make sure the house fit into the landscape," Laura Bush says. "I think it does, with the low house and the native limestone that looks very natural. It also takes advantage of the landscape with all the views." The view played an important role in situating and designing the house, as did the breezes and the direction of the sun. During the design process, Heymann would outline potential layouts in the ground and the Bushes would stand there visualizing what the house would look like in each setting.
The final design takes maximum advantage of the breeze by being long and narrow - most of the house is only one room wide. The house is surrounded by a porch, which shades the house from direct sun in the summer and provides a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors. Most traffic between rooms goes via the porch, although there are some interior doors. There are no stairs or thresholds, Laura Bush points out. "We wanted our older parents to feel comfortable here," she says. "We also want to grow old here ourselves." Heymann says, "The house doesn't hold you in. Where the porch ends there is grass. There is no step-up at all." President Bush has said Heymann "did a fabulous job" with the house.
Personal
Heymann lives in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
with his wife, Sandra Fiedorek, and their two children, Walter, and Helen.
External links
- David Heymann's homepage at The University of Texas at Austin
- "The Bush Ranch", by Eric O'Keefe, story on Prairie Chapel Ranch and the house by Heymann, Cowboys & Indians, December 2002. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
- Eyeballing the Bush Ranch, CryptomeCryptomeCryptome is a website hosted in the United States since 1996 by independent scholars and architects John Young and Deborah Natsios that functions as a repository for information about freedom of speech, cryptography, spying, and surveillance...
. Includes maps and photos of the house. - "'Texas White House' a refuge from stress", by Laurence McQuillan and Judy Keen, USA TodayUSA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, 2001-04-13. Retrieved 2007-11-09. - "West U's Environmental Oasis", by Charles Stillman, February 2006, Cleanhouston.com, on an eco-friendly house Heymann designed in Houston, TexasHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. Retrieved 2007-11-09. - "16 Ideas for the Planet", statement 16 by David Heymann, NewsweekNewsweekNewsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, April 16, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-09. - "Lone Star Style", by Cathy HorynCathy HorynCathy Horyn is an American fashion journalist, working as the fashion critic for The New York Times where she also keeps a highly noted and provocative blog called...
, T Style Magazine, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, August 27, 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-09. - http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_Heymann&action=edit§ion=7, a collection of memorable quotations from his Spring 2010 Site Design class.