Case Study · Custom Home
A 6,400 sq ft hillside residence in Austin shaped around a single 80-foot view corridor and a wellness wing tucked into the slope.
The Brief
The clients had moved seven times in fifteen years. They came to us with a single-page brief: a home that didn't feel transient. Four suites, a library, and "the most boring kitchen possible — we want to actually cook."
The 1.4-acre site dropped 80 feet across its width with a single uninterrupted view of the canyon. Protecting that corridor — and resolving stormwater on a slope — drove the entire plan.
At a Glance
Constraints Solved
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Materials
The lower datum is wrapped in dry-stacked Lueders limestone — a local material that carries the slope visually and ties the building to the canyon wall. The upper volume reads lighter: charred cedar siding, dark steel windows, and a low-iron clerestory band that runs the full length of the public spaces.
Performance
We didn't chase a certification. We did chase numbers — a HERS index of 47, an air-sealed envelope at 1.4 ACH50, and a deep overhang strategy calibrated to Austin's solar angle that lets full winter sun in and blocks 86% of summer sun.
Drawings & Photography
Timeline
Feb – Apr 2024 · Two directions explored, one selected.
May – Aug 2024 · Plan locked, materials selected, first pricing pass.
Sep 2024 – Jan 2025 · Builder set issued, permit approved on second submittal.
Feb – Dec 2025 · Bi-weekly site walks; 11 RFIs total over the entire build.
Got a tough site?
Tell us what you're working with — slope, easements, HOA, anything. We'll tell you what's possible.