An iconic masterpiece of the International Style of the mid-1900s, Mies Van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House epitomizes the main tenets of this influential architectural movement; rectilinear forms, open interior spaces, a lack of ornamentation, and a visually weightless quality that is achieved through the use of cantilever construction methods.
Former residents of Chicago, the family that contracted the were enchanted by their visit to the Farnsworth House in Plano, Illinois. When they later relocated to the greater Austin area, they wanted a home that brought the essential elements of the Farnsworth House into an entirely new environment.
While the Farnsworth House stood on a vast and entirely flat meadow, the RoadRunner Residence is nestled amid the copious trees and rolling terrain of Texas hill country. This structure sits on approximately 4600 square feet of impeccably manicured grounds, perched on a hillside in the Wild Basin preserve.
The Austin architectural firm North Arrow Studio designed this residence to inject new life into traditional International Style design elements. Rectangular and flat-roofed, this building seems to float weightless within the verdant landscape that surrounds it. The residence also integrates seamlessly into the surrounding environment through design features such as expansive bay windows and an exceptionally wide deck that moves directly onto a large open-area living space.