The Ranches + Residential Issue
Texas Contemporary™ Monthly: Issue 39
Creative Collaboration
Welcome to this month’s issue of our Texas Contemporary™ Newsletter, focused on inspiring residential and ranches that highlight the best of our unique, timeless architecture. We are delighted to have recently visited with Jan and Brent Larsen, owners of the Frio Ranch in South Texas for a tour of their magnificent home. We are excited to share it with you in the link below. Enjoy!
Sunset Ranch | Burnet County,TX
Nestled on a peninsula in a private cove, Sunset Ranch in Burnet County, Texas, is a true embodiment of Texas Contemporary™ design, blending lake and ranch life. The design is a Texas Contemporary™ take on the traditional dogtrot. It combines timeless materials with modern amenities to create a beautiful getaway off the grid.
The front of the home facing the ranch boasts native limestone, metal panels, and punched openings, while the lakeside features expansive glass views. The dogtrot connects the ranch to the lake and provides an outdoor living room suitable for storytelling, cooking, and cocktails by the fire. A simple gable roof funnels water to the rainwater collection system, the home’s sole water source.
This month, LEVY DYKEMA Principal, John Dykema shares his insights on designing residences and ranches.
Lifestyle and Setting:
The crucial components to a successful Residence or Ranch.
While there are many considerations when designing a residence or ranch, two critical components to any successful home are lifestyle and setting. We know that every home should be a reflection of the people who live there, a place of refuge and rejuvenation. We work closely with every client to understand their desired lifestyle, how they plan to use the home, and where they want to spend their time when at home. This knowledge is the foundation of our design; we build on this shared information to incorporate our clients’ lifestyles and personality traits like entertaining guests, collecting art, reflection and relaxation, favorite shapes and colors, and more.
The second, complementary element to consider when designing a residence or ranch is determining the perfect setting within the site. Our goal is to optimize the best of our clients’ properties. We consider everything from views to noise to prevailing winds to heat gain to daylight. By carefully assessing our clients’ property we can help them select the best location for their home.
The Frio Ranch reflects this juxtaposition of lifestyle and setting. The client wanted a Texas Hill Country residence that took advantage of their unique setting, provided space and inspiration for both their artistic endeavors as well as their business and work, and a home where they could entertain friends and family while enjoying the spectacular views from the hilltop location.
Designing Residences and Ranches can be some of the most rewarding work we do. We love to see the joy people take in their new homes.
The LEVY DYKEMA Austin studio recently participated in the Texas Advocacy Project's 13th Annual Backpacks for Hope. Our team collected NEW backpacks and school supplies for children of victims in shelters, crisis centers, and clinics across Texas. Great job, everyone!
It's a good time for R&R.
Residential and Ranches.
As I look back at our extensive portfolio of residences and ranches, I am proud that our work reflects the best of Texas Contemporary™ design. Our approach is rooted in our understanding of our clients, our communities, and in our belief that our job is to create beautiful homes that reflect their owners.
I would like to extend a word of thanks to the Larsen's for their time and their willingness to share their home with us.
We are proud of the extraordinary spaces we have created for them and for our many other clients. We know that homes are special; our connection to them is different than to any other space. We are always thrilled to hear from our clients about the experiences they have shared and the memories they have created in their new homes.
At LEVY DYKEMA, designing beautiful, timeless residences and ranches brings us great joy.
Stephen V. Levy
President
LEVY DYKEMA