A landmark opening is set to take place in Marfa, the small Texas town whose transformation into an ‘art destination’ was famously led by the legendary Donald Judd. While he is among the most important American artists of the minimalist movement, it is less commonly known that his practice extended beyond sculpture and furniture and into architecture.

Judd had moved from New York City in the 1970s to the remote town which dots the endless high desert. In the decades to follow he was busy establishing large-scale art spaces and undertaking ambitious historic preservation projects. His many endeavors include an office in the heart of town which ultimately became his working architecture studio.

The office occupies a two-story brick structure which was first built in the early twentieth century before its overhaul by Judd and his team after acquiring it in 1990. Its recent restoration follows a seven-year effort that began in 2018 and paused after a fire in 2021. Throughout it all, the design team’s approach is driven by Judd’s own principles — respect for original materials and thoughtful adaptation to context. The renovation of Donald Judd’s architecture office in Marfa has reached completion and will reopen on September 20th, 2025.

Ahead of the office’s September 20th reopening, designboom spoke with Rainer Judd, President of the Judd Foundation and Donald’s daughter, about the project’s place within his legacy and its role in the ongoing story of Marfa.

Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas | image by Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation

a restoration driven by donald judd’s design principles

The reopening of the Marfa office is led by Texas-based studio Schaum Architects along with the Judd Foundation, which sees to the preservation and revival of Donald Judd’s architectural works. Through the project, passive cooling strategies, a rooftop solar array, and sustainable insulation methods are integrated into the original structure. Its historic spirit, meanwhile, is maintained and celebrated.

Interiors become gallery spaces for the display of Judd’s plywood and metal furniture, drawings, physical models, and archival material. Visitors traveling through Marfa are invited to explore these rooms to experience the depth of Judd’s architectural practice in the spaces where it came to life.

Donald Judd in Marfa, Texas, 1993 | image © Laura Wilson, courtesy Judd Foundation

dialogue with rainer judd

designboom (DB): Can you describe the spirit of Marfa through your eyes, and through the eyes of Donald Judd? How has it has evolved since his first presence there?

Rainer Judd (RJ): Marfa has a small-town history that is the core of its spirit — generations of individuals and families have helped shaped this before Don. From its days as a military outpost to its period as a cattle town, through the de facto segregation period against Mexican American residents, through its economic up and downs, it tells the story of change in the southwest, demographically and economically. Before it was settled as a town, this region has been inhabited for thousands of years.

For Don, Marfa was a place to install his work, a place to be in and care for the land, and to think. Inadvertently, it was an opportunity to do something locally that did not go against the nature of the place. He was against Marfa becoming a cattle town museum, and an art town as well, he was against the idea of an artist colony.

Today Marfa is considered an ‘art destination,’ and it was not when Don was living there. It is our responsibility to show up to the challenges we’ve helped create. I think for the work of the Foundation it is important to consider Marfa in an everyday context, of a small town, with us being one of the many individuals contributing to the next chapter of the place’s history.

Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas | image by Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation

DB: While he is known first as an artist and designer, he famously had many built and unbuilt works of architecture. How did these different creative disciplines intersect for him?

RJ: Art and design were individual parts of a whole, but you can see how they work with architecture, they all deal with space. In his writing on all of these — art, architecture, design — he states that the need to preserve and install his work in spaces that he considered appropriate and the invention of his work, were two primary concerns that ‘joined and both tend toward architecture.’ Concerned with the space surrounding his art, this led to repurposing buildings and envisioning future ones for different purposes.

That being a given, he understood that art did not have to concern itself with function the way architecture and design do. He emphasized that architecture was not art, but that did not mean that it could not be artistic or cultural the way that many objects and structures clearly are.

His concerns with scale, materials, form, and quality were the points at which these disciplines intersected. And also dignity, which he refers to often in writing and in interviews about architecture and art. The dignity of spaces, for living and for working, he believed good buildings had that quality. And of course, the inherent dignity of art, which led to his concern with its preservation and proper installation.

Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas | image by Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation

DB: How do this building and its restoration illustrate his architectural and artistic vision?

RJ: Considering the historic and spatial context of buildings, understanding their original structure and function was important to Don. When he bought the Architecture Office, one of the first things he did was sandblast the facade, he wanted to return the building to its original condition. This action takes into consideration the town, the style, and the time in which it was built. He respected original thought, labor, and materials. He was interested in not wasting this. He understood that the building could serve other purposes and even have his ‘unusual furniture’ inside but structurally it should be returned to the context, or as he would say the ‘situation.’

This aspect of understanding historically, spatially, and culturally where one is and what can be done with the available materials and resources, can be seen in both his art and architecture practices. And it was also what guided the Foundation’s work in this restoration project. The building needed to be up to date to protect the installed collection and the integrity of its structure, to adapt to the desert climate and be energy efficient, but whatever had to be done had to consider the existing situation and how it fit into the broader history and community in Marfa.

Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas | image by Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation

DB: What discoveries were made during the team’s environmental condition studies, and what were some challenges in bringing the building back to life, especially with the harsh Marfa climate?

RJ: The building has beautiful details that were able to be maintained and preserved or rebuilt after the fire — from the archway on the second floor, to the pressed tin ceiling, to its double hung windows, to the framing of the building. Following the fire, we had the opportunity to have new conversations to the possibilities within the structure.

The building itself, built circa 1915, was structured with a lattice of wood beams across the attic ceiling so it all had to be rebuilt. This provided our talented project team with a time period to consider how to do it better, more efficiently, with the time of one hundred years to reflect upon. We installed a system which I am excited about, which reflects the ‘technologies’ humans have used for thousands of years in desert climates in which the cool night air flushes the building.

Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas | image by Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation

DB: Judd’s furniture and design pieces, especially physical models, are a huge part of the restoration. How do these elements help us better understand his legacy?

RJ: Don’s art and furniture are widely known, there is a great deal of scholarship about his art, and to some extent his furniture and writing. His architecture is perhaps lesser known and the scale of it not wholly understood. Building big and new at large scales was the norm in 1980s, and it is not that Don did not have big projects, but he understood that resources are finite and that destroying existing architecture in favor of the ‘new’ was against reason, for him even to an ethical degree.

The architectural models and plans in the space illustrate not only his range within his practice of projects he was working on but also serve as examples of one person’s understanding of architecture, of form and function, and of space and time.

second floor, Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas | image by Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation, John Chamberlain Art © Fairweather & Fairweather LTD / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

DB: With the Architecture Office now restored, how does it fit into the Judd Foundation’s long-term vision for preserving Donald’s legacy in Marfa?

RJ: The Architecture Office marks the completion of the first total building restoration project in Marfa (following the completion of the historic restoration of Spring Street in New York). In the scale of artists foundations both in the United States and abroad, we are a small team with a large mission that involves maintaining Judd’s physical spaces and art, public engagement, research, publications, exhibitions, land conservation, and gardens. The restoration was therefore monumental for us in terms of how the community, both in Marfa and beyond, came together along with the restoration project team of engineers, specialists, and craftspeople, to preserve his spaces.

Looking at the bigger picture, this is a small triumph, full of lessons in resilience and collaboration, that will guide the rest of our restoration projects.

Architecture Office, Judd Foundation, Marfa, Texas | image by Matthew Millman © Judd Foundation

project info:

name: Donald Judd Architecture Office

project architects: Schaum Architects | @schaumarchitects

commissioner: Judd Foundation | @juddfoundation

location: Marfa, Texas

previous coverage: July 2024

completion: September 20th, 2025

photography: © Laura Wilson, © Matthew Millman | @matthewmillmanphoto

design team (Schaum Architects): Troy Schaum, Rosalyne Shieh, Andrea Brennan, Ian Searcy, Tucker Douglas, Ane Gonzalez Lara, Tsvetelina Zdraveva, Ryan Botts, Anneli Rice, Zhiyi Chen, Ekin Erar (formerly SCHAUM/SHIEH)

historic masonry consulting: Alpha Masonry (Sotirios Kotoulas, Kostas Kotoulas, Antonio Guerreiro)MEP engineering: GK Engineers (Davia Gernand)historic building consulting: Higgins Quasebarth & Partners (Cas Stachelberg, Jonathan Taylor)

historic carpentry: High Desert Woodworks (Jon Antonides)

environmental, preservation, and conservation consulting: Image Permanence Institute (Kelly Krish, Christopher Cameron)

MEP engineering: KCI Technologies (Nicholas Badke)

general contractors: Method Building Company (Faith Melgaard, Kyle Melgaard, Jimmy Magliozzi), RC Concepts (Juan Martinez, Jose Martinez)

engineering: Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (Nathaniel Smith), TYLin Engineering (Pat Arnett, Jennifer Chan)
energy engineering: Transsolar KlimaEngineering (Erik Olsen)

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The Falcon Ledge Residence by Alterstudio Architecture rises from a steep ravine in Austin, Texas, just beyond the edge of a typical suburban neighborhood. Built for a newly married couple planning to start a family, the house responds to a complex topography with a design that is efficient and spatially generous.

Designed as a vertical residence that climbs up from the wooded terrain, the project takes advantage of a site long dismissed as undevelopable. A narrow access point from the street opens into a constructed platform that first served as a staging ground for construction before becoming the home’s garage and bridge entry. From this raised threshold, the house extends into a compact, upright volume that places living spaces on the upper level and private areas below, aligning domestic life with views and natural light.

images © Casey Dunn

Living Above the Canopy in austin

The 3,813-square-foot Falcon Ledge House is immersed in dense foliage and oriented by Alterstudio Architecture to embrace its setting. While adjacent to conventional suburban housing, the residence is shielded by the topography and vegetation, offering its occupants a continuous relationship with the outdoors. The clients move through daily routines without the need for drawn curtains, as the home’s height and orientation provide privacy through elevation and placement rather than enclosure.

The architects approached the Falcon Ledge project with a focus on minimizing site disturbance. The structure rises with the terrain rather than imposing upon it, threading the house into the landscape through calibrated interventions. This sequencing dictated much of the project’s form and rhythm: each phase of construction was planned around the constraints of a tight site with limited access, resulting in a form that is as much shaped by necessity as it is by intention.

the Falcon Ledge Residence is located in a steep ravine on the edge of suburban Austin

alterstudio prioritizes environmental performance

The exterior of the Falcon Ledge Residence is wrapped in vertical steel panels that Alterstudio employs to resist weathering and change tonally with time and light. These are punctuated by deep, strategic recesses that frame specific views while shading openings. The envelope is restrained but deliberate, revealing itself through precise alignments, narrow apertures, and transitions in material texture. Light enters from multiple orientations, shifting the atmosphere throughout the day and contributing to passive cooling through cross-ventilation.

Environmental performance is addressed through a combination of passive and active strategies. Glazing placement considers both heat gain and daylight, and operable windows promote natural airflow. The compact footprint and tight envelope enhance thermal performance, while indoor air is filtered and managed to provide consistent comfort. The building is oriented to maximize solar efficiency, and its recessed openings help to moderate interior temperatures without compromising access to light or views.

the home adapts to a challenging site, long considered unbuildable

While the final outcome appears tailored to its site, much of the Falcon Ledge Residence is built using conventional construction methods. Traditional wood framing and trusses form the structure, keeping costs within the median range for the region. Alterstudio reserved custom detailing for areas where spatial impact or environmental exposure called for greater attention. In these moments, the house steps away from the ordinary, revealing the careful calibration of materials and edges that elevate its character.

The project stands as an example of how design ambition can coexist with constraint. By adapting to difficult conditions and making the most of standard building techniques, Alterstudio produced a residence that quietly asserts its presence in the landscape. The Falcon Ledge Residence provides a model for building in overlooked places, showing how thoughtful design and intelligent sequencing can uncover new ways to live closely with nature.

the house is wrapped in vertical steel panels that weather naturally

living spaces are located along the upper levels, with bedrooms below

deep recesses carve into the facade to frame views and manage solar exposure

interior spaces are passively cooled through cross-ventilation

the home uses standard framing and wood trusses to stay within typical construction budgets

project info:

name: Falcon Ledge Residence

architect: Alterstudio Architecture | @alterstudio

location: Austin, Texas

photography: © Casey Dunn | @caseycdunn

design team (Alterstudio): Kevin Alter, Ernesto Cragnolino, Tim Whitehill, Haifa Hammami (director of interiors), Matt Slusarek (project architect), Elizabeth Sydnor (project architect)
contractor: Matt Sitra Custom Homes
landscape: Aleman Design Build
structural engineer: MJ Structures
mechanical engineer: Positive Energy
geotechnical engineer: Capital Geotechnical Services PLLC

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Alterstudio perches this City Park Residence along a slope overlooking downtown Austin, interweaving the architecture into its verdant surroundings. The rolling hills outside the Texan city frame the urban skyline, with the Pennybacker Bridge appearing in the mid-ground. The design mediates between expansive panoramas and the intimacy of a sheltered courtyard, balancing openness with moments of enclosure.

Approaching the home, visitors move along a bridge that skirts mature oak trees and spans a carefully reshaped section of terrain, repairing the scar left by the demolition of the site’s previous structure. At the threshold, glimpses of the view give way to a U-shaped upper level. A service wing leads to public living and dining areas, where floor-to-ceiling glazing frames the landscape and opens onto a balcony that reveals the full expanse of the vista. Below, a sloping garden connects to a covered terrace, pool, and lawn. Exterior materials such as profiled wood, native stone, and mahogany window walls anchor the house in its context.

images © Casey Dunn

alterstudio’s Environmental Design and Energy Strategy

The architects at Alterstudio incorporate hybrid energy systems into the 7,600-square-foot City Park Residence, taking advantage of the site’s natural elements. Breezeways and roof apertures channel prevailing winds through the home, while deep eaves and solar shades temper solar gain. Extensive glazing provides daylight without sacrificing energy performance, supported by a high-performance building envelope with continuous exterior insulation.

Active systems complement the passive design moves, including a VRF HVAC system with MERV 13 filtration, hybrid electric hot water, high-efficiency lighting, and a photovoltaic array that enables net-positive energy performance. These measures, integrated into the architectural form, address both environmental responsibility and the health of occupants.

the house is set on a hillside overlooking downtown Austin

Adaptability and Long-Term Use

Alterstudio designs the City Park Residence as an heirloom for the client family, adaptable to shifting needs over generations. The primary living spaces and garage are located on the main level, supporting aging in place. Offices are planned to convert into bedrooms, and bathrooms can be reconfigured to accommodate future family members.

The home also integrates a safe room for protection during severe weather events. This emphasis on flexibility extends the residence’s longevity while enhancing resilience against the increasingly variable climate of central Texas, from extreme heat to winter freezes and power grid disruptions.

a bridge entry weaves through mature oak trees

a U-shaped plan frames both views and a private court

floor-to-ceiling glazing opens living areas to the landscape

exterior materials include profiled wood, native stone, and mahogany window walls

passive cooling uses breezeways, roof openings, and deep eaves

flexible layouts allow for aging in place and multigenerational use

design strategies address resilience to Texas’s power grid instabilities and extreme weather

project info:

name: City Park Residence

architect, interior designer: Alterstudio | @alterstudio

location: Austin, Texas

completion: 2025

photography: © Casey Dunn | @caseycdunn

design team: Kevin Alter, Ernesto Cragnolino, Tim Whitehill, Haifa Hammami, Daniel Shumaker, Matt Slusarek, Elizabeth Sydnor, Shelley McDavid

contractor: Rauser Construction 

structural engineer: M. Scott Williamson

mechanical engineer: Positive Energy

geotechnical engineer: Holt Engineering

civil engineer: Aeparmia Engineering, PLLC

landscape: Hocker

pool: Design Ecology

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The first glimpse of A Parallel Architecture’s newly completed Terrace Mountain Residence suggests a defiance of gravity. Sited above the wooded slopes of Westlake Hills suburb of Austin, Texas, the home seems to hover between sky and earth. The approach begins with a suspended bridge and ends at a glass-framed threshold that opens to the city skyline beyond. The architects, working closely with Arrowhead Construction, guides the structure into a dialogue with its terrain, not through imitation but by contrast. Steel and glass are braced against the softness of tree canopies and stone.

Materiality shapes the home’s atmosphere. A Parallel Architecture draws from a palette of concrete, steel, and local stone, all anchored by dark-stained wood elements that warm the otherwise elemental geometry. At once muscular and restrained, the home’s outer shell opens selectively, revealing framed glimpses of Austin’s shifting daylight. Interior transitions, between the entry bridge, central living space, and stepping outdoor terraces, are expressed through changes in texture and light, rather than walls.

images © Chase Daniel

terrace mountain Residence opens onto austin landscape

Suspension becomes a recurring theme throughout A Parallel Architecture’s Terrace Mountain Residence. The team positions the main living areas above a sloping terrain, leaving the ground untouched and shaded beneath. From this raised perch, the structure cantilevers gently over an infinity pool that seems to dissolve into the hill country. The reflection pond that flows beneath the house does more than echo its silhouette. It threads through the site like a quiet architectural counterpoint, drawing the landscape into the design with a sense of rhythm and ease.

The heart of the dwelling lies in a luminous volume that houses the living room, kitchen, and dining space. Here, the architects work with interior designer Allison Burke to maintain a restrained interior language, allowing large panels of glass to turn the city into an active backdrop. The kitchen is centered around a singular marble island, almost monastic in its precision, and balanced by cabinetry that disappears into the surrounding walls.

the Terrace Mountain Residence hovers above the wooded slopes of Westlake Hills in Austin, Texas

Descending Into Landscape

In the main suite of the Terrace Mountain Residence, A Parallel Architecture offers an intimate composition of proportion and detail. A fireplace floats at the center of the room, less a barrier than a suggestion, gently separating the sleeping area from a sitting alcove. Dual bathrooms and closets recede discreetly along the perimeter, their presence registered more by surface and material than enclosure.

Along the lower level, the architecture extends downward without losing its clarity. The design team organizes this part of the home around the slope itself, creating guest suites and a double-height media room that open directly to the outdoor terrace. The change in elevation is embraced, not masked. Inside and outside, the shift in grade becomes a way to introduce shade and intimacy among the surrounding foliage.

The landscape design complements the home without overstating its presence. Much of the natural site is preserved, allowing native plantings and shaded groves to surround the exterior. An infinity pool, set along the home’s axis, acts as both a mirror and a margin. It reflects the open sky and defines the boundary of the terrace. The outdoor kitchen is tucked within a breezeway, kept close but visually quiet.

a floating bridge that leads to a glass-framed threshold overlooking the city skyline

a reflection pond threads beneath the house to create an integration between architecture and terrain

the concrete, steel and wood structure opens onto framed views of the surrounding landscape

the main living space cantilevers over an infinity pool that dissolves into the hill country beyond

a marble island and concealed cabinetry define the minimalist kitchen

much of the natural landscape is preserved as the structure quietly observes its site

project info:

name: Terrace Mountain Residence

architect: A Parallel Architecture | @aparallel

location: Westlake Hills, Austin, Texas

interior designer: Allison Burke | @allisonburke.id

construction: Arrowhead Construction | @arrowhdtx

completion: 2025

photography: © Chase Daniel | @thevuvobandit

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Roost by Furman + Keil Architects is a project that reveals itself only gradually. Tucked into a secluded fold of Austin’s terrain, the 928-square-foot timber structure lies far below the elevation of its neighborhood, concealed by tree canopy and reachable only by a narrow stair or a quiet paddle down the water. The descent to Roost, winding through a limestone grotto and into wetlands, creates a sense of arrival that feels more like a passage into a hidden world.

The team offers a way to inhabit the landscape without disturbing its rhythms. Raised above the water on steel piers, the structure appears to hover just above the slough, offering a vantage into the surrounding treetops. A screened porch invites long afternoons of birdwatching, while the shaded space beneath serves both as a launch for boats and a quiet, functional zone for engaging with the shoreline. Without extending the home’s conditioned footprint, the project offers new possibilities for seasonal living.

images © Leonid Furmansky

Resilience in Design

With its Roost extension, the team at Furman + Keil Architects responds directly to the constraints and conditions of its delicate setting. The wetland, inaccessible to most construction equipment, required a strategy that would preserve the terrain while allowing a durable structure to emerge. Elevating the project minimized ground disturbance and preserved the fragile ecology below, while offering new sightlines across the water’s edge. Owls now return nightly, settling onto the structure as part of its layered use.

Roost is shaped by a desire for permanence within a fluctuating landscape. The site’s history of flooding required that every material and form decision serve longevity and adaptability. In re-using the previous steel piers and elevating the new platform, the architects created a resilient envelope that can withstand rising water while remaining deeply attuned to its setting. The absence of traditional foundations reflects a commitment to light intervention.

Roost is hidden deep below its surrounding Austin neighborhood along a secluded waterway

furman + keil architects’ prioritizes Minimal Impact

Furman + Keil Architects’ Roost demonstrates that minimizing a project’s footprint begins with structure. Rather than imposing a new foundation, the team retained and extended the existing piers, forming the bones of a wood-framed superstructure. The materials had to be carried in by barge, heightening the importance of each component. Light wood cladding and open detailing allow the structure to blend into its surroundings, evoking a treehouse more than a traditional outbuilding.

Construction is embraced as an act of negotiation with site. The long stair leading down to the bluff offered no real access, and the barge route necessitated careful logistics. The design responds to these limitations with clarity instead of compromise. By limiting conditioned space, simplifying geometry, and lifting the program off the ground, the result is a project that feels born of the terrain rather than imposed on it.

The spirit of the project is quiet occupation. It frames the wetlands with care, offering just enough shelter to extend daily life into a more elemental setting. There is no sense of spectacle here, only the slow rhythms of light, wind, and water, and a structure that listens to them all.

the project is accessed through a limestone grotto or by canoe for a gradual and immersive approach

the structure is elevated on existing steel piers to protect the wetland habitat

a screened porch and lower platform allow for birdwatching and boat access

the new structure is designed for resilience and long-term durability

the design reuses and extends the pre-existing steel structure to avoid new foundations

exterior materials were chosen for their durability and ability to blend with the landscape

project info:

name: Roost

architecture: Furman + Keil Architects | @fkarchitects

location: Austin, Texas

photography: © Leonid Furmansky | @_leonidfurmansky

FKA design team: Troy Miller (Principal), Philip Keil (Principal), Maanasa Nathan (Project Manager), Dawson Williams (Project Manager)

contractor: Crowell Builders

landscape: Word + Carr Design Group

permit consultant: Rick Rasberry of Lake Austin Boat Dock & Shoreline Permits

structural engineer: Duffy Engineering

lighting: Studio Lumina

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In a leap toward the future of construction, the first-ever 3D printed Starbucks is brewing in Brownsville, Texas. Designed by German firm Peri 3D, the same company behind Europe’s first 3D printed social housing, the upcoming café sets a new and concrete precedent for retail architecture.

The 3D-printed Starbucks is set to open its sliding window to mobile order pick-ups and drive-thru customers on April 28th, 2025. Unlike a typical café with cozy armchairs and jazz on loop, this 1,400-square-foot Texas outpost is built purely for speed and convenience. The entire structure is composed of 3D-printed concrete walls — no drywall, no beams — just a sinuous, layer-by-layer print job that skips the scaffolding and the surplus.

the 3D-printed project is the first of its kind for the coffee company | image @brownsvilletoday

starbucks joins the scene of experimental builds

Planted at 2491 Boca Chica Boulevard, this 3D-printed Starbucks also marks a notable shift for the coffee giant as it experiments with sustainable and modular construction with German firm Peri 3D. The project cost rings in at just under $1.2 million, a price tag that reflects both the novelty of the technology and the scalability it promises for future expansion.

Texas, home to 3D printing leader ICON and a flurry of experimental builds — from affordable housing to the midcentury modern-inspired House Zero — is fast becoming the epicenter of additive architecture. In this context, the 3D-printed Starbucks reads less like a novelty and more like a natural progression for an area that’s already embraced concrete robotics as part of its architectural DNA. While the drive-thru-only model might skip the third-wave coffee shop trappings, this 3D-printed Starbucks is undeniably about innovation.

the café is designed and constructed by German company Peri 3D | image @brownsvilletoday

the structure is built from 3D-printed concrete | image @thishowthingswork

it is designed exclusively for mobile orders and drive-thru service | image @thishowthingswork

the project joins a growing list of experimental 3D-printed builds across the state | image @thishowthingswork

 

 

 

 

 

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project info:

architect: Peri 3D Construction | @peri3dconstruction

client: Starbucks | @starbucks

location: Brownsville, Texas

completion: April 28th, 2025

The post an experimental 3D printed starbucks is soon to open in south texas appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Alterstudio Architecture has unveiled the Constant Springs Residence, a 3,230-square-foot home in Austin, Texas, that sculpturally blends urban living with a secluded retreat. Designed for a family of four, the residence takes advantage of its site to create a unique balance between city life and peace within nature. The design team notes that while the home is sited in an ‘ordinary neighborhood,’ it stands out for its orientation toward the rear of the property, where an unexpected escarpment, creek, and lush vegetation create a private oasis. The design makes use of these features, along with a porous rooftop, to ensure that the home feels both connected to its surroundings and insulated from its urban context.

images © Casey Dunn

h-shaped roof informed by existing oak trees

Constant Springs Residence is recognized at once by its rooftop, which the team at Alterstudio Architecture designs with a curving, H-shaped profile. While this element shelters the dwelling’s interiors, its broad overhangs more than double the covered living space to 6,900 square feet. An expressive timber finish lends continuity across the property, fluidly linking indoor and outdoor areas. A custom-glazed window wall, highlighted by monolithic corner glazing, further enhances this connection, allowing natural light and views to flood the interior.

The residence is designed to inhabit the space between a lush front courtyard and the expansive natural landscape at the rear. A live oak tree with an unusually tall trunk influenced the home’s design, with the steep grade adjusted to accommodate its presence. The western red cedar ceiling opens to allow the tree to pass through, while an Ipe wood deck permits water penetration, emphasizing the home’s integration with nature. A second ceiling opening brings light and rain into the heart of the house, creating a dynamic interplay between the built environment and the elements.

Alterstudio Architecture completes the Constant Springs Residence in Austin, Texas

curated spaces by alterstudio architecture

Inside, the Constant Springs Residence features a rich material palette which Aterstudio Architecture curates to contrast the natural surroundings. Straight-grain cedar ceilings and vertical siding, white terrazzo floors, grey Leuders limestone, and a custom steel-and-white oak entry door showcase exceptional craftsmanship. Notably, the homeowner served as the general contractor, marking their first venture into construction with project.

The kitchen is a standout feature, designed with exceptional care and attention to detail. A stunning Calacatta Lincoln marble countertop cascades around a vertical, end-grain white oak kick, while an acid-etched mirror backsplash adds a luminous, enigmatic quality to the space. This area serves as both a functional hub and a visual centerpiece which reflects the architects’ emphasis on refined details.

the home blends urban living with a secluded retreat for a family of four

an H-shaped roof doubles covered living space to 6,900 square feet

custom glazing connects interiors to natural views and outdoor spaces

a live oak tree informs the design with openings in the cedar ceiling

the kitchen features Calacatta Lincoln marble and an acid-etched mirror backsplash

the material palette includes cedar, terrazzo, limestone, and custom steel details

project info:

name: Constant Springs Residence

architect, interior designer: Alterstudio Architecture | @alterstudio

location: Austin, Texas

completion: 2025

photography: © Casey Dunn | @caseycdunn

design team: Kevin Alter, Ernesto Cragnolino, Tim Whitehill, Joseph Boyle, Michael Woodland, Sara Mays
contractor: Chris Hill, Mark Paulsen
structural engineer: Scott Williamson, PE
mechanical engineer: Positive Energy
landscape: BDW Landworks and Construction
pool: Jay Scallon Pools

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ICON is set to construct 100 more 3D printed homes at Community First! Village for the chronically homeless residents in Austin, Texas. In a collaboration with Mobile Loaves & Fishes and in partnership with the Lennar Foundation, the construction technology company has already served the unhoused community in the village over the past four years with 17 homes and facilities. The project expands the Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ northeast Austin development with an additional 127 acres to the Community First! Village.

This means nearly 1,400 3D printed homes by ICON are set to rise across the two new phases of the village in Austin, Texas. In total, the completion of the residential project is expected to house around 1,800 formerly homeless residents. ICON plans to construct a mix of townhouse units and family homes for the 100 upcoming 3D printed housing units, spanning 380 square feet to 1,040 square feet. A fleet of robots leads the construction of the additional homes using the company’s CarbonX formula. This is a cement mix that includes fly ash, which is a byproduct from burning pulverized coal in electric power-generating plants.

all images courtesy of ICON

Previous housing project with Bjarke Ingels Group

For the housing project, ICON collaborates with the Mobile Loaves & Fishes and the Lennar Foundation. The 100 new 3D printed homes at the Community First! Village in Austin, Texas is a gift that the foundation has given to the social outreach ministry. They’ve also already collaborated with the construction company in the past with the building of 3D printed homes at Wolf Ranch in Georgetown, Texas, which Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) co-designed.

These 100 more 3D printed homes in Austin, Texas, are currently underway. While ICON has yet to reveal the opening dates, the housing units’ presence at the Community First! Village is already confirmed. The master-planned neighborhood hopes to provide affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for men and women who are coming out of chronic homelessness. The village is developed by Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a Christian social outreach ministry and organization that has been serving the area’s homeless community for more than 26 years.

ICON is set to construct 100 more 3D printed homes for the chronically homeless residents in Austin, Texas

the construction uses CarbonX formula, which is a cement mix that includes fly ash

ICON plans to construct a mix of townhouse units and family homes

a fleet of robots leads the construction of the additional homes

the housing units span 380 square feet to 1,040 square feet

project info:

name: Community First! Village

company: ICON | @icon3dtech

collaboration: Mobile Loaves & Fishes | @mobileloaves

partnership: Lennar Foundation | @lennarhomes

The post ICON to build more 3D printed homes for homeless residents in austin, texas appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

The Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas, a celebrated sacred space originally built in 1971, has closed indefinitely due to damage sustained during Hurricane Beryl last month. Exceptionally heavy rain and gale-force winds during the storm resulted in some leakage through the roof. Part of the ceiling and several walls sustained water damage, and four of Mark Rothko’s panels were also affected to varying degrees. The Chapel has engaged Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation to lead the analysis and assessment, with the full cost of repairs and the extent of the damage still being determined.

UPDATE December 4th, 2024: Houston’s Rothko Chapel is set to reopen its doors on December 17 after undergoing extensive repairs necessitated by damage from Hurricane Beryl last July. The ceiling and walls of the Chapel have been fully repaired and repainted, while the affected Rothko panels were transported to an off-site conservation facility for treatment. While details about their return remain forthcoming, the Chapel assures the public that they will be reintegrated as soon as the restoration is complete.

‘Since the storm, our focus has been on the complete repair of the building, the restoration of the damaged panels, and the reopening of the Chapel so the public once again has access to this beloved space for contemplation and meditation,’ shares executive director David Leslie. ‘Getting to this point has been a true community effort involving an amazing team of art conservators, scientists, art handlers, volunteers, community partners, and Chapel staff, and we are very excited to reopen in time for the holidays.’

all images © Elizabeth Felicella

a renovated sacred space with fourteen Mark Rothko pieces

The Rothko Chapel had closed to the public in March 2019 to undergo restoration before re-opening to the public in 2020. Listed on the national register of historic places, the architecture is defined by its fourteen monumental Mark Rothko canvases. These works invite spiritual contemplation and engagement regardless of faith, spiritual or religious background. During renovation, the skylight, lighting design and entryway were reconfigured in concert with the original concept for the space, allowing for heightened illumination and an unimpeded interaction with the artwork.

The Rothko Chapel is closed indefinitely following sustained damages from Hurricane Beryl

restoring the building and art panels during closure

‘The Chapel’s continued stewardship of this beloved cultural and sacred site, renowned for its Mark Rothko panels, remains our highest priority, and the closure will ensure that the necessary repairs and restorations can be made as effectively and completely as required. Our focus now is on the restoration of the building and panels, and on continuing our mission of both contemplation and action at the intersection of art, spirituality, and human rights,’ shares Executive Director David Leslie. 

During closure, the Rothko Chapel is also assessing its fall program season, which may include programming at alternate venues throughout Houston, with additional details forthcoming. The Suzanne Deal Booth Welcome House, located at 1410 Sul Ross Street, will remain open from 11am to 5pm Tuesday through Sunday to provide information and hospitality to those who visit. For the latest updates, as well as information on how best to support the Chapel’s hurricane recovery efforts, you can visit the website. 

three Mark Rothko panels were affected

The Chapel has engaged Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation for analysis and assessment

project info:

name: Rothko Chapel | @rothko_chapel

location: 3900 Yupon Street, Houston, Texas

post-hurricane assessment: Whitten & Proctor Fine Art Conservation

status: reopening December 17th

The post rothko chapel to reopen after five-month restoration following hurricane beryl damage appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

ICON has announced the winners of Phase Two of its Initiative 99 global architecture competition, aimed at reimagining affordable housing solutions that can be constructed for $99,000 or less, especially with the use of large-scale 3D printing. This initiative represents a significant design challenge and comes with a total prize of $1 million across both phases. Two of the award-winning designs have been proposed by Guerin Glass Architects and ConCave, which have been selected to be 3D-printed in Austin.

The two winning designs were selected from the Professional category and have been chosen for actual 3D printing at Mobile Loaves & Fishes’ (MLF) Community First! Village in Austin, Texas. This nonprofit organization supports the local homeless community and is planning to break ground on these innovative homes in early 2025. The project has garnered substantial support, including a $500,000 grant from Wells Fargo, aimed at addressing housing needs in the underhoused community. See designboom’s previous coverage of the competition announcement here!

image © ConCave, courtesy ICON

icon selects two winning designs

Earlier this year, the winners of Initiative 99’s Phase 1 were revealed by the ICON team during a showcase event at SXSW, featuring submissions from over sixty countries. The phase awarded six winners and ten honorable mentions, with prize money distributed from the overall $1 million pool. This initial phase emphasized global participation and diverse approaches to addressing the affordable housing crisis.

Melodie Yashar, ICON’s Vice President of Building Performance and Design, expressed enthusiasm about the evolution of the submissions. ‘The global focus of Phase 1 highlighted significant needs for affordable housing across various regions. In Phase 2, contestants successfully adapted their designs to the specific conditions of Community First! Village,’ she says. Yashar believes these designs contribute valuable ideas that can drive advancements in affordable housing worldwide.

image © ConCave, courtesy ICON

sculptural homes to be 3d printed in marfa’s el cosmico

In addition to the developments at Community First! Village, ICON and Liz Lambert have plans to incorporate winning designs from Initiative 99 into the expansion of El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas (see designboom’s coverage of El Cosmico here). This project will enhance the existing bohemian campground and aims to feature a diverse range of accommodations and amenities, further showcasing the potential of these designs in real-world applications.

Darlene Goins, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation, highlighted the partnership’s significance, stating, ‘ICON’s innovative 3D-printed technology, combined with the imaginative designs from Initiative 99, can set a precedent for the future of safe, high-quality, affordable housing.‘ The commitment from Wells Fargo reflects a broader investment in addressing housing challenges.

image © ConCave, courtesy ICON
image © ConCave, courtesy ICON
image © ConCave, courtesy ICON

image © ConCave, courtesy ICON

image © Guerin Glass Architects, courtesy ICON

image © Guerin Glass Architects, courtesy ICON
image © Guerin Glass Architects, courtesy ICON
image © Guerin Glass Architects, courtesy ICON
image © Guerin Glass Architects, courtesy ICON

image © Guerin Glass Architects, courtesy ICON

project info:

project title: Initiative 99

host: ICON | @icon3dtech

winning teams: Guerin Glass Architects, ConCave

previous coverage: March 2023

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