Austin Modern Home Tour Goes Virtual—Watch from Anywhere!

by Julie Tereshchuk on February 22, 2021 in Lifestyle, Home, Living Texas, Austin,
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Home is much on our minds these days, especially given the cataclysmic weather Texans have battled with recently. Not to mention lockdowns and quarantining.

Now, it’s time for some inspiration (sprinkled with a little aspiration?)  for your home projects. A curated selection of modern homes in and around Austin, Texas, will be showcased virtually during the 13th annual Austin Modern Home Tour on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7. (It’s been rescheduled from the previous weekend due to the recent weather disruptions.)

There’s a full schedule of events and tickets, just $40 per device, grant access to the taped segments after the live event ends.

So whether you’re already a lover of modern architecture and interior design, or you’re eager to explore, this tour is for you. And it works for everyone — in Austin, elsewhere in Texas or beyond.

Hidden away on a large acreage in the Texas Hill Country, this 8,251 sq. ft. modern ranch home from J Christopher Architecture floats on a rocky cliff overlooking the rushing creek below. The porch dangles over the cliff edge on cantilevered decks extending as much as 15 feet. Photo Chase Daniel
The modern ranch design of the J Christopher Architecture Texas Hill Country home, integrated with natural surroundings, makes for a stunning result. Interior Design: Bradley Alford Designs. Photo Chase Daniel

How It Works

The two-day live streaming event will feature live walkthroughs, using impressive 3D imaging, of some of Austin’s most interesting modern homes built in the last couple of years. 

Discussions and Q&As with a Modern Architecture + Design Society host plus the architects, builders and homeowners involved will take place in each segment to give viewers all the details and background of each project. Segments will also be available to watch in the days after the live event.

The open atrium living room and the steel windows of this East Austin home from Pavonetti Architecture combines Modernism with references to aging structures such as barns and stables found throughout rural Texas. Photo Amanda Kirkpatrick
Cedar siding, exposed wood and steel framing, and steel windows fill the Holly neighborhood home with an artisan aesthetic. Trim-less details, large windows and clean unadorned lines pay respect to Modernism. Photo Amanda Kirkpatrick

For the tour goer, that means you’ll have the ability to “visit” those extra-special homes that the owners might not want open to hundreds of people. It also makes for a shorter, less stressful day trying to fit everything in on the day. 

Plus, you’ll have the chance to revisit your favorite projects long after tour day to refresh your memory, look at a favorite detail again, or check out that inspiration piece when you upgrade your own space. And, you get to talk to the architects live on tour day, and get answers to your specific questions.

This 4,696 sq ft retreat from Barley|Pfeiffer Architecture is inspired by its incredible setting at the precipice of an escarpment with panoramic views of the Texas Hill Country. Outdoor spaces surround a pool and firepit perched on the edge of a cliff offering unparalleled views. Photo Mark Adams Media
The Driftwood home is not only designed to be luxuriously comfortable without air-conditioning, but its self-sufficiency is also assured through an extensive roof-mounted solar array that produces the vast majority of the electricity needed to run the home. Design: Interior Design Gallery. Photo Mark Adams Media

What’s On

“During our in-person tours, most visitors would explore each home on their own, and perhaps ask a question on their way out the door,” explains MA+DS founder, James Leasure. 

“During our virtual events, we explore the homes as a group and discuss the project’s story with the people that created home, giving viewers some great details and background on each home.”

Sitting in the Zilker community of Austin, this two-level home is a partnership between Newcastle Homes and with Element 5 Architecture. The two levels provide flexibility with the covered patio a perfect outdoor living or dining area and the pool deck a lounging area with plenty of yard left for recreation.
Photo courtesy Newcastle Homes
In this Zilker home, the entryway leads to an open plan kitchen, dining and living area seamlessly integrated with the outdoor living and dining area through a four-panel bi-part sliding door. Photo courtesy Newcastle Homes

What You’ll See

From a 1,000 square foot addition to a 1988 home in Circle C, to the 8,251 square feet, 4 bed/4.5 bath of a 2020 modern ranch home in Horseshoe Bay there’s something to pique every pocket and taste.

From the street, this Circle C property appears to be an ordinary tract home like its neighbors. However, upon entry, the illusion is revealed. A 1,000 sq ft addition from Matt Fajkus Architecture has transformed the generic 1980’s house into a unique light-filled, modern home.
Photo Leonid Furmansky, Matt Fajkus Architecture
The main aim of the Circle C addition was to connect the existing house and garage with a distinctly modern addition, housing a private office, a sitting area, mud room, and powder room for guests. Photo Leonid Furmansky, Matt Fajkus Architecture

You’ll find homes in the sought-after East Austin Holly neighborhood (1,600 square feet, 3 bed/1.5 bath), in the leafy Zilker neighborhood (3,133 square feet, 4 bed/4 bath) and be able to virtually venture out to Driftwood to tour a five bed/4 bath Texas Hill Country retreat spread over 4,696 square feet. 

At the time of writing, 8 beautiful properties (including the addition) are lined up for the tour. A veritable feast for home fans!

Austin Modern Home Tour: Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7

Cover: Lake Travis Treehouse. Photo courtesy Cornerstone Architects

Julie Tereshchuk is the Editor-in-Chief of Texas Lifestyle Magazine and loves a good homes tour.