Bouldin Creek, one of Austin’s oldest neighborhoods with undeniable historic charm, dates to the turn of the century. Several homes dating to that era are still standing today. Much of the neighborhood’s growth took place during the 1920s and 1930s. Due in part to frequent Colorado River flooding prior to dams and flood control, real estate south of the river was inexpensive and as a result, many black families lived in the Bouldin neighborhood. In the 1940s a small Hispanic settlement began to blossom, following the establishment of the mission-style San José Catholic Church at the corner of Mary and South 3^rd Street. Bouldin Creek is highly diverse, with a variety of cultures, backgrounds, and architectural styles. The neighborhood is defined within the boundaries of West Oltorf, South Lamar, Barton Springs, and South Congress.

The Texas School for the Deaf, established in 1856, is the neighborhood’s largest institution. With a 65 acre campus, the school stretches from South Congress to South First Street and from Barton Springs Road to Elizabeth Street. The original building was demolished in 1956. The school underwent extensive renovation and expansion during the early 1990s.

The Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse and the Soup Peddler are frequented by neighborhood residents. Other area restaurants and bars include Guero’s Taco Bar & Grill, Jovita’s Restaurant, Threadgill’s Southern Cooking, Trophies Bar & Grill, and Vespaio Italian Bistro.

Five Star Green Home in Bouldin Creek

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Bouldin Creek Demographics from the 2005 Census

Population: 6,170
Housing units: 2,748
Multi-family: 50%
Single-family: 50%
Owner-occupied: 68.8%
Household size: 2.2
White: 46.5%
Hispanic: 40.7%
Black: 9.2%
Asian: 0.8%
Other: 2.7%
Age 17 & Under: 21.8%
Age 18-24: 12.0%
Age 25-64: 59.9%
Age 65 & Up: 6.3%
Total area acres: 763
Percent Residential Acres: 38.7%

Dutch Colonial
1625-1840

This architectural style is primarily characterized by gambrel roofs having curved eaves along the length of the house and was found in the Dutch settlements in the New York/New Jersey areas. Modern versions built in the early 20th century are more accurately referred to as “Dutch Colonial Revival.” The earlier style homes were typically one story homes built of brick and stone, while the revival ones were often 2 or 2.5 stories, built of wood, brick, and/or stone.

Another unique feature was the Dutch double door where the bottom half of the door could remain closed while the top of the door was open.

Principal sub-types

Urban: Steeply pitched roofs with paired end chimneys
Rural, un-flared eaves: Barn like appearance with little or no eave overhang
Rural, flared eaves: As above, but with flared eave overhangs
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Dutch Colonial Revival Home
1890’s-1930’s

1830-1880

This architectural style evoked the mystery and romance of European medieval architecture, and it marked a sharp departure from the ordered symmetry of previous classical styles. Characterized by steeply pitched gabled roofs with decorative vergeboards and vertical arched windows, Gothic Revival homes are most commonly found in the Northeastern states. Doors also commonly show pointed arches and other Gothic motifs, as well as decorative crowns.

Decorative Vergeboards

Gothic Revival characteristics found on churches and public buildings include castle-like features, such as square towers, battlements and parapets.

Common Gothic Revival features:

• Steeply pitched roofs with steep cross gables
• Vergeboards (decorative gable trim)
• Pointed arch windows that extend into the gable
• One story porch

Tarrytown
Area 1B / 78703

Tarrytown, considered by many to be Old West Austin, is bordered by West 35th Street on the north and Enfield Road on the south. MoPac Boulevard is considered the east border, and Tarrytown is bordered on the west by beautiful Lake Austin.

This neighborhood offers a variety of homes that combine elegant southern style homes with more modern homes. Homes in Tarrytown range from $300,000 to $3,000,000.

Schools:
Casis Elementary is a four-star, parent-oriented school
O. Henry Middle School
Austin High School

Amenities:
Deep Eddy Pool
Laguna Gloria Art Museum
Mayfield Park
Reed Park
Triangle Park
Hula Hut at Lake Austin
Lions Municipal Golf Course
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To learn about Tarrytown homes for sale, call Angela Sparks at 512.762.0923.

What is a radiant barrier?

Radiant barriers are materials that are installed in buildings to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and hence to reduce building heating and cooling energy usage. The potential benefit of attic radiant barriers is primarily in reducing air-conditioning cooling loads in warm or hot climates. Radiant barriers usually consist of a thin sheet or coating of a highly reflective material, usually aluminum, applied to one or both sides of a number of substrate materials. These substrates include kraft paper, plastic films, cardboard, plywood sheathing, and air infiltration barrier material. Some products are fiber reinforced to increase the durability and ease of handling.

Radiant barriers can be used in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. However, this fact sheet was developed only for applications of radiant barriers in ventilated attics of residential buildings. For information on other applications, see the references at the end of the Fact Sheet.

How are radiant barriers installed in a residential attic?

Radiant barriers may be installed in attics in several configurations. The simplest is to lay the radiant barrier directly on top of existing attic insulation, with the reflective side up. This is often called the attic floor application. Another way to install a radiant barrier is to attach it near the roof. The roof application has several variations. One variation is to attach the radiant barrier to the bottom surfaces of the attic truss chords or rafter framing. Another is to drape the radiant barrier over the tops of the rafters before the roof deck is applied. Still another variation is to attach the radiant barrier directly to the underside of the roof deck.

How do radiant barriers work?

Radiant barriers work by reducing heat transfer by thermal radiation across the air space between the roof deck and the attic floor, where conventional insulation is usually placed. All materials give off, or emit, energy by thermal radiation as a result of their temperature. The amount of energy emitted depends on the surface temperature and a property called the “emissivity” (also called the “emittance”). The emissivity is a number between zero (0) and one (1). The higher the emissivity, the greater the emitted radiation.

A closely related material property is the “reflectivity” (also called the “reflectance”). This is a measure of how much radiant heat is reflected by a material. The reflectivity is also a number between 0 and 1 (sometimes, it is given as a percentage, and then it is between 0 and 100%). For a material that is opaque (that is, it does not allow radiation to pass directly through it), when the emissivity and reflectivity are added together, the sum is one (1). Hence, a material with a high reflectivity has a low emissivity, and vice versa. Radiant barrier materials must have high reflectivity (usually 0.9, or 90%, or more) and low emissivity (usually 0.1 or less), and must face an open air space to perform properly.

On a sunny summer day, solar energy is absorbed by the roof, heating the roof sheathing and causing the underside of the sheathing and the roof framing to radiate heat downward toward the attic floor. When a radiant barrier is placed on the attic floor, much of the heat radiated from the hot roof is reflected back toward the roof. This makes the top surface of the insulation cooler than it would have been without a radiant barrier and thus reduces the amount of heat that moves through the insulation into the rooms below the ceiling.

Under the same conditions, a roof mounted radiant barrier works by reducing the amount of radiation incident on the insulation. Since the amount of radiation striking the top of the insulation is less than it would have been without a radiant barrier, the insulation surface temperature is lower and the heat flow through the insulation is reduced.

Radiant barriers can also reduce indoor heat losses through the ceiling in the winter. Radiant barriers reduce the amount of energy radiated from the top surface of the insulation, but can also reduce beneficial heat gains due to solar heating of the roof. The net benefits of radiant barriers for reducing winter heat losses are still being studied.

How does a radiant barrier differ from conventional attic insulation?

Radiant barriers perform a function that is similar to that of conventional insulation, in that they reduce the amount of heat that is transferred from the attic into the house. They differ in the way they reduce the heat flow. A radiant barrier reduces the amount of heat radiated across an air space that is adjacent to the radiant barrier. The primary function of conventional insulation is to trap still air within the insulation, and hence reduce heat transfer by air movement (convection). The insulation fibers or particles also partially block radiation heat transfer through the space occupied by the insulation.

Conventional insulations are usually rated by their R-value. Since the performance of radiant barriers depends on many variables, simple R-value ratings have not been developed for them.

What are the characteristics of a radiant barrier?

All radiant barriers have at least one reflective (or low emissivity) surface, usually a sheet or coating of aluminum. Some radiant barriers have a reflective surface on both sides. Both types work about equally well, but if a one-sided radiant barrier is used, the reflective surface must face the open air space. For example, if a one-sided radiant barrier is laid on top of the insulation with the reflective side facing down and touching the insulation, the radiant barrier will lose most of its effectiveness in reducing heating and cooling loads.

Emissivity is the property that determines how well a radiant barrier will perform. This property is a number between 0 and 1, with lower numbers indicating better potential for performance. The emissivity of typical, clean, unperforated radiant barriers is about 0.03 to 0.05. Hence they will have a reflectivity of 95 to 97 percent. Some materials may have higher emissivities. It is not always possible to judge the emissivity just by visual appearance. Measured emissivity values should be part of the information provided by the manufacturer.

A radiant barrier used in the attic floor application must allow water vapor to pass through it. This is necessary because, during the winter, if there is no effective vapor retarder at the ceiling, water vapor from the living space may condense and even freeze on the underside of a radiant barrier lying on the attic floor. In extremely cold climates or during prolonged periods of cold weather, a layer of condensed water could build up. In more moderate climates, the condensed water could evaporate and pass through the radiant barrier into the attic space. While most uniform aluminum coatings do not allow water vapor to pass through them, many radiant barrier materials do allow passage of water vapor. Some allow water vapor passage through holes or perforations, while others have substrates that naturally allow water vapor passage without requiring holes. However, excessively large holes will increase the emissivity and cause a reduction in the radiant barrier performance. The ability to allow water vapor to pass through radiant barrier materials is not needed for the roof applications.

What should a radiant barrier installation cost?

Costs for an attic radiant barrier will depend on several factors, including the following:

• Whether the radiant barrier is installed by the homeowner or by a contractor.
• Whether the radiant barrier will be installed in a new home (low cost) or in an existing home (possibly higher cost if done by a contractor).
• What extra “features” are desired; e.g., a radiant barrier with perforations and reinforcements may be more expensive than a “basic” radiant barrier.
• Any necessary retrofit measures such as adding venting (soffit, ridge, etc.)
• Whether the radiant barrier is installed on the attic floor or on the rafters.

Department of Energy Radiant Barrier Fact Sheet

Queen Anne

1880-1910

The Queen Anne style was named and popularized by a group of 19th century English architects, led by Richard Norman Shaw. Decorative detailing includes spindlework, free classic design, half-timbering, or patterned masonry.

Elements of this style regained popularity in the Neoeclectic movement of the 70’s and 80’s.

Common Queen Anne architectural design features:

• Steep-pitched roof of irregular shape
• Patterned shingles
• Cutaway bay windows
• Asymmetrical facade with partial, full, or wrap-a-round porch
• Corner tower

Tudor Revival

1890-1940’s

The Tudor style was loosely based on a variety of early English traditions from simple Medieval cottages to Late Medieval palaces. Decorative detailing draws on Renaissance - particularly with doorways - or Craftsman traditions. Patterned brick or stone work was common. Front facade porches tended to be small entry porches or absent all together.

Elements of this style regained popularity in the Neoeclectic movement of the 70’s and 80’s.

Common Tudor Revival architectural design features:

• Steep-pitched roof lines, usually side-gabled
• Facade dominated by one or more steeply pitched cross gables
• Decorative half timbering
• Tall narrow windows, usually in multiple groups & multi-pane glazing
• Massive chimneys

The Driskill Hotel, located in downtown Austin, is a Romanesque style building which was completed in 1886. The Driskill was conceived and built by Col. Jesse Driskill, a cattleman who spent his fortune constructing the hotel.

Its four stories occupied almost half a block, with three arched entryways on the south, east, and north sides. Carved limestone busts of Driskill and his two sons, Bud and Tobe crowned the hotel on each of these sides. Six million bricks went into the structure, along with limestone features.

The hotel’s 60 rooms included 12 corner rooms with attached baths, an almost unheard-of feature in any hotel of the region at that time.

The hotel included an open design to encourage airflow throughout the building and keep it cool; its primary feature was an open rotunda at the center that extended from the first to the fourth floors and culminated in a domed skylight.

Other embellishments included an electric bell system, marble bureaus and washstands, steam heating, and gas lighting. The gas pipes throughout the building particularly led Driskill to make the hotel as fireproof as possible, with eighteen-inch-thick walls between the rooms and two layers of iron between each floor. The steam boilers, kitchen, and laundry facilities were relegated to the back (north) side of the hotel to prevent their odors from permeating the hotel.

According to legend, Driskill lost the hotel in a game of poker in 1888 to his brother-in-law, Jim “Doc” Day, who became its second owner. The hotel changed hands several times through the turn of the century, and went through boom and bust cycles along with the city of Austin.

Throughout its history, the Driskill has become a centerpiece for Austin’s high society, and especially in its early years, a common meeting place for Texas state congressmen, where many “backroom deals” were said to go down.

Today the Driskill remains one of the premier hotels in Texas, featuring lavish bridal suites, two restaurants, and a grand ballroom. It is also well-known for being one of the most haunted hotels in the United States, featuring as many as half a dozen ghosts throughout the building.

A charming mix of Texas Victorian homes and Craftsman Bungalows

From 38th – 48th and Guadalupe (West) to Duval (East)

A leisurely springtime stroll in Hyde Park might begin with a morning cup of fresh-brewed coffee from Austin-bred Quack’s Coffee House on 43rd Street. It might wind through several blocks, all the while shaded by tall, stately trees arching overhead and crossing the wide streets to say hello to neighbors. Eventually, it might come to an end with a purchase of breakfast tacos at NeWorlDeli on Guadalupe Street. It is a community where you can walk to the store or local coffee shop and where you will find neighbors of all different ages, ethnicities and income levels.

A relatively small neighborhood, with tree-lined streets and historic houses left and right, Hyde Park is known for its hodgepodge of residences. It is bordered by 48th Street to the north and 38th Street to the south, Guadalupe Street to the west and Duval Street to the east. A typical Hyde Park block includes everything from Craftsman bungalows to Tudor-style homes, office buildings and multi-unit properties.

Hyde Park is not only one of the densest neighborhoods in central Austin, it is also one of the earliest established, founded in 1891. Under the guiding hands of Monroe Martin Shipe, Hyde Park originally featured large residences geared towards the affluent. Sluggish land sales later pushed Hyde Park to become a neighborhood for the middle and working classes.

Hyde Park offers more than just a convenient location to its residents; it offers a vibrant community lifestyle. The neighbors are friendly, the neighborhood association is active and involved and there is plenty to see and do.

Each year, the neighborhood association hosts its annual Hyde Park Homes Tour, which highlights several notable homes within the neighborhood to raise money for the organization.
The association offers free consulting services for builders and homeowners, to ensure development occurs within the guidelines of community zoning codes.

Children in Hyde Park attend Lee Elementary School, Kealing Junior High School, and McCallum High School in the Austin Independent School District. Electricity, water and trash are provided by the City of Austin Electric Company.

To find a home in Hyde Park, contact Angela Sparks at 512-762-0923 or go to the Contact page.

American Craftsman Bungalow

The Craftsman home was the dominant style for smaller houses built throughout America from around 1902 into the 1920’s. The style originated in California, inspired by the English Arts and Crafts Movement and Oriental wooden architechture. Design elements included simplistic artistry.

Common Craftsman Bungalow architectural design features:

• Low-pitched roof lines - gabled or hipped roof
• Wide overhanging eaves,
• Exposed roof rafters
• Decorative brackets under eaves
• Full or partial front porch beneath extension of main roof
• Tapered, square columns often extended to the ground
• 4-over-1 or 6-over-1 double-hung windows
• Hand-crafted stone or woodwork
• Mixed materials throughout structure