When your site has a steep vertical rise, no part of the design or build comes easily. Brian Korte and Germán Spiller’s developer client complicated matters even more by requesting a very large, marquee property—more than 10,000 square feet of conditioned space, plus bountiful terraces for outdoor living. The team’s solution is to “battle our way up the hill” with an upside-down floor plan.
“Our client wanted the house to be the jewel in the development,” Brian says. Wildcat Hollow is a collection of six high-end residences in Austin’s West Lake Hills area. Several of the city’s noted architects are designing houses there, but Clayton Korte is the only firm doing two—this, the largest one, and another about half the size next door.
Germán enumerates the list of highly curated spaces they’re designing: “There’ll be a wine room, exercise room, gift-wrapping room, a four-car garage with lift, and a man cave over the garage.” Oh, yes, there’s also a guest suite on the lowest level, three bedrooms and baths on the second level, and a luxurious main suite on the top level, where the best views lay.
In cooperative weather, the top level, which also contains the key living and entertaining spaces, can open fully to a covered terrace, outdoor fireplace, barbecue, pool, and 270-degree views of the Austin skyline and rolling hills beyond.
Rolling Hills Residence
Austin, Texas
Architect: Brian Korte, FAIA, and Paul Clayton, AIA, principals; Germán Spiller, associate and design lead, Clayton Korte, San Antonio, Texas
Builder: Foursquare Builders, Austin, Texas
Project size: 10,196 square feet
Site size: 4.497 acres
Visualizations: Clayton Korte