Case Study

Frio Ranch

The Frio Ranch is a single-family home at the highest point in Leakey, Texas. It is nestled between the School House Mountain, the Frio River, and the beautiful Frio Canyon. It blends into its surroundings while providing 180-degree views of the valley below.

The home is a spacious contemporary structure featuring large, open volumes and decks for both day- and nighttime outdoor living. The palette is focused on simple, local materials – natural concrete, D’Hanis brick, standing seam metal roof, and wood and metal clad walls.

The kitchen, dining, and living areas of the house are designed to facilitate connection and conversation while celebrating the amazing view.

A separate wing of guest rooms maintains privacy for the owners and their visitors without sacrificing luxury.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The owners of an amazing property overlooking the Frio River were looking to build a home well-suited to the site. They identified LEVY DYKEMA to help design the Frio Ranch residence.

CLIENT VISION

The clients’ wanted to build their dream getaway – a vacation home in the heart of the Hill Country that would blend with the landscape and provide a retreat from city life.

PROJECT GOALS

  • Maximize the beauty of the site
    Blend with the hilltop
    Maximize creativity while maintaining a budget
    Create spaces focused on entertaining/ hosting

THE DESIGN CHALLENGE

  • Work with the hilltop, but find an affordable structural solution

  • Clear delineation between public spaces and private areas

  • Create an interesting guest wing

  • Create sufficient parking for guests without making parking a focal point

THE SOLUTION

  • The hilltop site dictated the design, from the structural solution to the separation of public and private spaces.

  • We perched the house above the hill, so as not to disturb the hilltop at all while decks cantilevered beyond the living spaces maximized the views.

  • Material selection was also cost-driven. Exposed structural elements, simple metal panels, and stained wood create a luxe, inviting palette that blends with the serene environment.

SERVICES PROVIDED

Architecture
Interior Design

THE RESULTS

The synergy between the client and our team was outstanding. They were an integral part of the design process and it is reflected in the results. The clients loved the house so much, they moved from the city and have made the Frio Ranch their permanent residence.

  • The Frio Ranch received the 2023 People’s Choice Award from the AIA Corpus Christi.

  • The Frio Ranch has been featured in two internationally published books Architects of the Southwest: Grounded in the Mountains and the Desert, and New View: Twenty Magnificent Homes by Texas Architects.

  • The owners of Frio Ranch enjoy hosting their friends and family, all of whom rave about the home.

  • LEVY DYKEMA has had four inquiries for the same house design.