After meeting in architecture school and then working with prestigious California firms pushing the indoor-outdoor lifestyle, A Parallel Architecture’s Eric Barth and Ryan Burke returned to Austin where they saw a huge opportunity to continue that tradition in Texas. More than a decade later, Barth discusses the duo’s groundbreaking work. aparallel.com
Describe your aesthetic. Our clients tend to call it “warm modern.” We see it as a by-product of solution-based, functional design. Beyond this, we are certainly inspired by architecture of all types and eras, from classical to minimalist, but the consistent goal is to achieve warmth and livability.
How do you expect client requests to change this year? I predict an increased emphasis on amenitized properties as people realize they may want flexibility for working, entertaining, exercising and educating at home. Things like detached studios, swimming pools, gyms and sports courts have always been popular, but those may make more “need” lists than “want” lists moving forward.
What inspires your work? Part of the joy is that the field has such an enormous breadth and history. Art, nature, science, mathematics, literature, music—virtually every classical discipline has informed and inspired architects throughout the millennia, as has all the architecture since the dawn of man! Almost anything can trigger inspiration, from something as simple as a leaf on a tree to the enormous complexity of the cosmos.
