Property of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Rasbach, San Antonio, Texas | Architect: Roger Rasbach

12/02/2025 11:49:00 AM

Marching off to bed is a skylarking affair for the four children in the Rasbach family. To reach their rooms they have to cross a bridge—a real bridge over real water— that links the living and sleeping halves of their two-part house in San Antonio, Texas. The dual plan, conceived by Roger Rasbach, a residential designer, shows individuality and imagination and offers some uncommon advantages. Under two roofs, separated by a 24-foot garden court, many seemingly conflicting activities take place simultaneously. Children sleep quietly in their rooms while guests dine or dance in the other house. Grown-ups can listen to hi-fi or piano in the living room while TV or electric trains whir in the family room across the court. The whole family enjoys big-house privacy in medium-house space admirably supplemented by well planned areas outdoors. And though the house is fully screened from the street, the glass walls facing the garden court, terraces and pool let Mrs. Rasbach keep her eye on the children wherever they are, indoors or out.

Very much a part of its southwest setting on a one-and-a-half acre lot, the house is closely allied to the outdoors. During nine months of the year the Rasbachs live and entertain on the terraces around the pool almost as much as they do in their air-conditioned house since careful outdoor planning provides shade, channels the breeze, controls the glare and the sun. The wide, heat- reflecting roof, like a ten gallon hat, shields the big windows of the house. Some of the walls are a honey-colored, indigenous stone, some are white stucco (in 4-foot wide panels that won't crack). Redwood with dark stain frames the house; both stone and wood are repeated indoors for unity of texture and design.

Living and dining rooms in the Rasbachs' house are actually one huge room divided by a two-way fireplace with a tall wood-paneled chimney breast that emphasizes the height of the peaked ceiling. Around three sides of the room the ceiling is lowered, giving a more intimate air to areas like the conversation and music corner, opposite page, top. "We have always been amazed," the Rasbachs say, "at how easily our house expands for large parties and how intimate it becomes for small groups." The dining room, opposite page, lower left, is cheerful for family dinner, which is always served there, while the travertine-top table and terrazzo tile floor are eminently practical for a family with four children. At the same time the table is long enough to seat ten or twelve guests. When there are more, small tables for four or six are set up in the living room and adjoining outdoor areas, above, where dinner is eaten by candlelight augmented only by pool and garden lighting. For still larger parties, buffet supper is served from dining room; there is dancing later in living room. White walls make a flattering background for a free-handed mixture of furnishings: furniture of Oriental, French and contemporary American design, a Venetian chandelier, an Indian carpet, Japanese screens.

The Rasbachs love to cook and Mrs. Rasbach always prepares the main dishes for her parties. But they frequently entertain informally too, and on such occasions everybody helps. For both solo and chorus operations the kitchen is equally convenient. The key to its adaptability is the island work center in the middle of the room. The island includes a double, stainless steel sink of sit-down height, an automatic dishwasher with built-in waste disposer, vegetable bins and copious storage for place mats, china, silver, flatware, paper goods and cleaning supplies. Parked beside the island is a mobile cart which carries in one trip what two hands would carry in ten. At an easy distance behind the island is the cooking center which includes a six-burner countertop range, a wall oven and a built-in broiler-barbecue. In the adjoining wall are two built-in refrigerators. There is an auxiliary freezer in a storage room that opens onto the service court.