Living with the Land

Perched atop a lofty slope, where oak trees whisper in the cool breeze and the lights of downtown Austin shimmer below, stands a remarkable home. A harmonious blend of the organic and the manmade, the indoors and the outdoors, openness and intimacy—it embodies the quintessence of thoughtful coexistence with nature.

Dubbed “City Park Residence” by its creators, Alterstudio Architecture, this award-winning 7,600-square-foot hilltop home is seamlessly woven into the rugged beauty of its southern-state surroundings. At every turn, the eye is irresistibly drawn to the view—sweeping from the urban skyline across the Colorado River to the undulating hills beyond.

“Nature is omnipresent in this home; it enriches every room and space, a constant character,” says Kevin Alter, founding partner at Alterstudio.

Alterstudio was commissioned to design a “legacy home” for a retired couple whose travels had taken them around the globe. Though the pair already owned a house in the city, the spectacular piece of land where City Park Residence now stands had been treasured by the family for years—and it was calling out to be transformed into a beautiful home to pass on to future generations. The couple envisioned a space expansive enough to accommodate their children and grandchildren, yet intimate and inviting when they were there à deux.

“In addition to being a home that would endure in the family, it was envisioned as a honeypot of sorts; a place where their family would want to be,” says Alter. Most importantly, the owners dreamt of a house that would not only conserve but meaningfully celebrate the breathtaking scenery. “We wanted to design a building that would take advantage of the myriad extraordinary characteristics of this very special place in Austin,” adds Alter.

Accordingly, the lay of the land dictated the flow of the house, prioritising nature above all. The result is a refined yet discreet single-story structure, physically suspended over the sloping landscape so as not to interrupt it. Every existing tree on the plot was meticulously preserved, allowing the house to effectively nestle beneath a flourishing canopy of leaves.