Architecture

Frank G. Parker House

Harlingen, TX
Year Built – 1949
Architects – Cocke, Bowman, and York
Text and Photos – Stephen Fox
At the Frank G. Parker House on South Parkwood of 1949, Cocke, Bowman & York registered the slight change in grade between the higher portion of the yard, closest to the arroyo bank, and the lower portion, closest to the street. There is a two-foot, split-level change in interior floor elevations between the rear-facing bedrooms and the street-facing social rooms that is carried up to roof level in section, where high-set clerestory windows bring east light into the living room. In the bathroom of the Parker House, and at the front entrance, one sees York’s teasing play with exposure: opening both spaces to natural light with walls of obscured glass.