Terrace Mountain

For a multigenerational family on a limestone bluff in Westlake Hills, our task was to make a house of strong architecture feel personal, warm and livable. Working in close collaboration with A Parallel Architecture, we approached the interiors as a sequence of tactile experiences, shaping how the home is touched, lit and lived in day to day. The material palette is edited and honest: honed basalt slabs underfoot, limewash plaster on the walls, character-grade oak floors and Douglas fir overhead, and shou sugi ban for its charred depth. Custom composite walnut toned cabinetry and a monolithic schist island anchor the kitchen, and a suspended hearth inspired by the Japanese irori gives the family a place to gather. In the primary bath, a sunken soaking tub and integral stone basins turn daily routines into small rituals, with handmade tile by master Japanese artisans adding a human, imperfect touch. Against that quiet backdrop, we layered the rooms with order and eclecticism in careful balance: woven textiles, textured rugs and one-of-a-kind furnishings chosen for their character and their ability to age with the family. The result is a home that is restrained but never austere, where every surface invites touch and each room feels collected rather than composed. Terrace Mountain won IIDA Best Residence and has been published in The Local Project and Dwell, 2026 AIA Austin Design Award (Merit), a 2026 Texas Society of Architects Design Award, a 2026 International Architecture Award and a 2025 Interior Design Best of Year honor