Shape Shifter
A new modern courtyard house
draws inspiration from a melting pot
of influences.
BY S. CLAIRE CONROY
ARCHITECT: BERCY CHEN STUDIO
BUILDER: ABODE MODERN HOME BUILDING
LOCATION: AUSTIN, TEXAS
CASE STUDY
We've all heard the slogan, "Keep Austin Weird." Perhaps
the weirdest thing about Austin over the last few years is
the boom in housing sales over $1 million—usually such
prosperity is reserved for the country's perimeter cities. The
other unusual aspect of this bustling residential real estate
market is that at least 20 percent of it is modern in style.
Where are these buyers coming from? Technology,
medical, and financial industries are largely responsible for
keeping unemployment near the lowest in the nation and
salaries bustling at the high end. And they are fed by a
constant influx of youthful workers, drawn by Austin's
culture and music scenes, beautiful landscape, and
year-round outdoor lifestyle.
Home prices and home sales finished 2016 at the highest
ever on record in Austin. Lots of wealthy buyers and a tight
supply of housing has meant a strong demand for the talents
of the local residential pros, many of whom derive from
the excellent architecture school at the University of Texas
at Austin.
Just two years ago, a young entrepreneurial builder named
Richard White drove by an interesting teardown opportunity
in South Austin, a neighborhood still relatively undervalued
(at the time) but just a few minutes across the Colorado River
from downtown. What attracted him were its commodious lot
dimensions and the hilly topography of the area. Instead of the
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