The South 5th Residence slips nonchalantly into Austin’s eclectic Bouldin neighborhood, skillfully navigating zoning constraints, envelope limitations, and critical-root-zone protections. Anchored by a 25-inch Durand Oak and an unexpectedly steep escarpment, the design emphasizes a dynamic spatial sequence that frames views and serves as an abstract backdrop to seasonal shifts in light and atmosphere.

Visitors arrive through a verdant courtyard beneath the majestic oak. A thin gabion wall at the street, evergreen plantings, and a perforated Cor-Ten corrugated screen to the south provide varying degrees of privacy and texture for the ensemble. The transparent living room hovers over the tumbling escarpment, revealing an expansive panorama. Visceral textures of concrete, mill-finished steel, and raw stucco contrast with finely detailed millwork and custom site-glazed wood and steel windows.