The Country House is a retirement retreat on a five acre plot of land on a former Texas Hill Country ranch. The clients loved the clean lines and openness of Philip Johnson’s 1949 Glass House. They also valued their privacy, so tilt-up concrete panels were used to compliment a steel and glass palette.

The house stretches out horizontally to minimize stairs and express a connection with the landscape. The arms of the cruciform plan vary slightly in elevation to follow the sloping topography of the site. The design seeks to explore a range of spaces from open and public to closed and private while always providing connections to the outdoors. The steel framed and glass enclosed living area and kitchen overlooks a rugged and vast central Texas vista. In contrast, the master suite is primarily in concrete. Windows are placed to admit daylight and to provide controlled views into intimate walled gardens.