Overview

Amidst the rolling hills and sprawling Live Oaks that define the desirable residential neighborhoods of West Austin, the few remaining unbuilt properties inevitably pose a collection of impediments to typical suburban development – a condition that describes the situation of the Westview Residence. Occupying the last remaining lot on a cul-de-sac lined with 6000-sf, traditional 2-story homes, the property descends abruptly from its narrow position on the street, bisected by a wet-weather creek that meanders through a dense group of protected trees. In preserving the ‘wildness’ of the landscape, these obstacles also formed the basis for the home’s design.

The Westview Residence is defined by a pinwheeling collection of grounded, masonry volumes on either side of the modest ravine. These forms house the primary building programs and are bridged by a great room that spans the occasional waterway. Carefully positioned to take maximum advantage of the nuances of their particular circumstances, the ensemble also defines a natural enclave entirely removed from the neighbors looming on all sides, and a vista that suggests a larger extent to this isolation. Rooms find themselves in the position of being in-between, guiding the inhabitant from the outside community to the inside enclave, and back out to the adjacent surrounding territories.