Texas might be best known for cowboys, wide-open plains, and barbecue, but the Lone Star State is also home to a special style of architecture known as Texas modernism. As the new book Texas Modern: Redefining Houses in the Lone Star State ( $60, Images ) points out in its introduction by design writer Helen Thompson, Texas became a hub for the technological innovations provided by steel, thanks to the metal’s use in oil-industry machinery. But hardy Texans soon found other uses for the material, not only practically on their ranches, but stylishly in their homes. In the 1920s and ’30s, architects like David Williams and O’Neil Ford pioneered Texas modernism, a movement defined by steel, big windows, limestone, and a straightforward boxiness. As the style grew in popularity during the postwar years (when there was a proliferation of steel), more modern homes popped up around the state. Today, architects still practice the style, like 2016 AD100 firm Lake|Flato, known for its sustainable design. Here, we take a look at seven elegant homes from Texas Modern.
Brookview Residence
For this Dallas home, firm Smitharc wanted to create a space that felt like a boutique hotel.
Concrete Box Residence
As you might infer from the name of this Houston house by Robertson Design, this home comprises a concrete box—as well as a wooden box and a concrete wall.
Critter Canyon
Furman + Keil Architects blend old and new in this Austin home.
Gewinner Residence
Energy Architecture maximized this Fredericksburg home’s vantage point on a hillside with massive glass walls.
Green Lantern
For this San Antonio house, John Grable Architects focused on sustainability. Features include a green roof, photovoltaic panels for electricity, and gray water and rainwater harvesting systems.
Pavilion Haus
As the owners of Houston’s Pavilion Haus wanted to feel connected to the outdoors, Studiomet Architects used floor-to-ceiling windows to open up the home.
Vertical House
This five-story Dallas home by Miró Rivera Architects provides a sharp contrast to its forested surroundings with its stark geometry.
Book Cover
Texas Modern .
