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Vale House in Austin, Texas

October 4, 2025

Architecture: Furman & Keil Architects

Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Photos by Dror Baldinger AIA

Vale House, Austin, Texas, USA

Nestled in the quiet Rollingwood neighborhood just west of downtown Austin, the Vale House project challenged us to strike a balance between the semi-suburban character of the neighborhood and the semi-urban reality of the property. The needs of our client’s large family demanded an extensive program, but the site was limited by size and proximity to neighbors.

A large live oak tree in the center of the property also presented a challenge, and our client’s first instinct was to remove the tree to accommodate the program. We chose an urban typology, the courtyard plan, to solve these problems; the courtyard allowed us to save the tree and open the center of the house to natural daylight while maintaining a friendly but private exterior.

The house presents a welcoming and modestly scaled single-story face to the street, even though the clients desired a third-floor terrace tucked under the eaves to capture the views of downtown Austin visible from the rear of the property.

The courtyard plan allows abundant, tree-shaded northern light to flood the interiors and provides a shaded outdoor space to gather.

Interior spaces are composed by the relationship of intersecting volumes, enlivened by the play of light on sculpted sheetrock surfaces, and defined by crisply detailed millwork rendered in a restrained palette of blond woods, stone, and blackened steel.

A Hemlock wood ceiling floats over the kitchen, punctured by a large skylight that illuminates the quarter sawn white oak cabinets and quartzite honed countertop. Stained concrete floors reflect light into the space and brass fixtures accent the warm materials. The locally sourced limestone is a reminder of the exterior and that the home is sited in the heart of Texas.

Vale House in Austin, Texas, USA – Property Information

Architecture: Furman & Keil Architects – https://www.fkarchitects.net/

FKA design team
Gary Furman, Principal
Philip Keil, Principal
Jamie Kerensky, Project Manager
Dawson Williams, Project Manager
Maanasa Nathan, Project Manager

Project Team
Architecture: Furman & Keil Architects
Interior Design: Wendy Williamson
Contractor: Shoberg Homes
Landscape: Landwest Design Group
Structural Engineer: Fort Structures