Cicero Lane Residence

Anchored to a limestone escarpment in West Lake Hills just outside of Austin, the Cicero Lane Residence occupies the threshold between sky and trees, perched on the ledge rather than retreating from it.

The property is organized as a collection of distinct structures: a main house and a separate guest wing, each claiming its own place on the ledge while remaining in conversation with one another. Within the main house, a public zone opens to the ridge and the long view, while a private wing anchors the far end. The living spaces are oriented outward, suspended above the slope and open to the prevailing southwest breeze and the layered ridgelines beyond. A long, narrow lap pool extends from the stone terrace, bridging the two structures. The guest wing sits at the opposite end, similar in architectural language and materiality, its generous porch looking out over the hills.

Materiality is guided by the site. Rough cut limestone anchors the house to the geology underfoot, its texture and weight echoing the natural outcroppings of the hillside. Wood brings warmth to the residence and softens the transition between built and natural, meant to patina honestly with age. Expansive glass dissolves the boundary between living space and landscape, framing the valley and inviting Hill Country light deep into the interiors.

The house does not impose on the topography but settles into it, its long profile following the natural contour of the ledge. Inside and out, the landscape is never incidental. It is the point.