New Ulm Ranch House

Designed as a weekend residence, the ranch house serves as a place of tranquility in the Texas countryside.  The program required locating the new house on the site of an existing residence while respecting the views of the landscape.  In addition, the client wished to form a cluster of buildings which would reflect the regional heritage of ranch buildings.

The essence of the house is drawn from the indigenous architecture of local German settlement towns; utilizing the local limestone, galvanized metal roof and horizontal wood siding found on many of the local farm buildings. Expansive covered porches are used as additional rooms and provide covered seating areas which command the primary views of the rolling landscape. The dining room opens onto a large screened porch that allows for large family dinners with exposure to the breezes and views.  High volume ceilings and clerestory windows combine to give the interior spaces a feeling of light airiness accentuated by the use of naturally finished pine.