Cortez Drawings

This unique house, located in Central Austin, provided significant challenges with nine oak trees constricting construction on a standard sized lot. The client provided a photograph of a 400 year old rock barn located in Tuscany as an idea of the character they wanted for their dream home. Initial sketches and ideas (pictured below from a napkin sketch made at dinner together) centered around using the identical rock exterior and barn framing but adding a tower that would act as a hinge connecting the living spaces to the bedrooms on three levels. The tower evolved into a library that would replace the typical foyer in such a design - thus the main entry became an entry into the library with a circular wrought iron stair cantilevered from the tower’s rock interior leading to the upper two levels. The tower was large enough to incorporate a powder room with unique rock walls, tile floor, and wall hung fixtures. A loft living space located on the third level completes the charming tower’s features.

An arched pathway lead from the library entry into the “barn” which includes the great room, Italian-style kitchen, family room, and utility areas. The “barn” rooms feature carefully crafted vaulted ceilings of hand built, wood peg assembled, exposed wood trusses. The kitchen offers a barrel-vaulted ceiling with diffuse indirect lighting. The bedroom wing holds three children’s bedrooms each with walk-in closets, lavatories, and a shared full bath at the end of a loggia that faces the courtyard. A tiny mother-in-law apartment completes the ground level wing. The upper level includes an office facing the courtyard and a master bedroom with his & hers walk-in closets with built-in washer/dryer. The exterior was tailored in order to retain all nine trees and incorporates a fountain lined courtyard accessible from the kitchen, great room, family room and loggia. A rainwater collection system provides for the landscaping needs of this home.