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Modern Houses of West Austin

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1950s–1970. Bounded roughly by Hancock Dr., Mo-Pac Expwy., Scenic Dr., and Mt. Bonnell and Enfield rds.

The rolling hills west of central Austin provided an ideal location for a neighborhood of modern residences built after World War II. Most of these houses sit on hillsides, though a few are on the sloped areas that drop down to Lake Austin. Two houses are the work of the city's most significant modernist, Harwell Hamilton Harris, and were designed while he served as dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Texas. The Balcones House No. 1 for Austin Corporation (1955) and the David B. Barrow House (1955–1956) at 4002 and 4101 Edgemont Drive, respectively, are largely unaltered.

Roland Gommel Roessner, another architect noted for modern designs, built the Ruud House (1953) at 3414 Foothill Terrace, the Foster House (1963) at 7 Green Lane, and the Will Wilson House (1965) at 3509 Mt. Barker Drive. Austin's most noted modernist firm, Fehr and Granger, designed the Westwood Country Club (1960) at 3808 W. 35th Street and the Joseph T. Sneed House (1953) at 3714 Meredith Street. Both buildings are significant examples of that firm's work.

To the west of Lake Austin, the Vincent Mariani House (1970) at 1504 Harbor View designed by Alan Taniguchi for Taniguchi Shefelman Vackar Minter is an important residential design for this firm. Taniguchi also was associated with the University of Texas.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Gerald Moorhead et al.
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Data

What's Nearby

Austin Museum of Art–Laguna Gloria (Clara Driscoll Sevier House) and Laguna Gloria Art School
Camp Mabry Building No. 1
La Ronde Court
Swisher-Scott House
Tarrytown Methodist Church

Citation

Gerald Moorhead et al., "Modern Houses of West Austin", [Austin, Texas], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/TX-01-AU76.

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