The Courtyard House reimagines the traditional Texas dogtrot — two volumes connected by a breezeway — as a contemporary home organized around a central open-air room. The courtyard becomes the heart of the house, a shaded outdoor space that every room either opens onto or overlooks.
Rammed earth walls provide thermal mass against Austin's extreme heat, while a perforated metal screen along the south facade filters light into geometric patterns that shift throughout the day. The material palette draws from the local landscape: limestone, live oak, and native grasses frame the property's edges.
Rainwater collection feeds the courtyard garden and a rooftop solar array powers the home year-round, making it one of the first net-zero residences in the neighborhood.