Lake Flato Architects has created a cool respite from the sun-drenched desert grasslands of far west Texas.
The project borrows from the area's earliest structures and is organised around a courtyard shaded by the dappled light of native mesquite trees with a small fount of collected rainwater.
To keep the house cool in summer and warm in winter, the structure is built of two-foot-thick walls of rammed earth. The house embraces the expansive landscape with lightweight breezeways and porches made of recycled oil field pipe. Situated on a low rise with dramatic views in each direction, it cuts a low profile, settling naturally into the desert.
This project has been shortlisted in the rural house category of Dezeen Awards 2022.
Architect: Lake Flato Architects
Project: Marfa Ranch
Read more: Lake Flato Architects
Vote for this project! https://www.dezeen.com/awards/vote/
Voting closes 10 October.