Canyon View House

4,300 sq. ft. timber and glass home designed around a remarkable view. Westlake Hills, TX.

Named for its spectacular view of downtown Austin, this house is perched on the edge of a steeply sloping site, thereby utilizing an existing level area as the “front yard.” The house forms a courtyard to the west and south around this level area, with deep covered porches providing shade and doubling as light shelves to reflect indirect light through the clerestory windows above. Thick stone walls to the west and south anchor the house to the site as it steps down the hillside. Public/private separation is enhanced by the bridge over the pool to the master bedroom area. The house is oriented to catch prevailing breezes, maximizes daylighting, and uses sustainable and local materials. The owners report that using air conditioning is seldom necessary, and they only use the lights at night.

Photography by Fine Focus Photography