Austin-based firm Murray Legge Architecture has completed a new residence near Lake Belton, Texas, designed for a young family seeking sustainability and long-term livability. Nestled within a sloping, three-acre site in the oak and juniper woodlands of Central Texas, the single-story home seeks to balance ecological sensitivity with a refined architectural language rooted in the local ranch house vernacular.

The project, a recent winner at the Texas Design Award, comprises a primary residence and a separate guest suite, both arranged around a central courtyard. The outdoor space, defined by clean, geometric masonry walls, preserves several mature trees and includes a patio and swimming pool. The house offers constant visual access to this controlled internal landscape on one side and to the surrounding wilderness on the other, reinforcing the contrast between cultivated and natural environments.

The design of the home plays with formal clarity and organic irregularity. While the courtyard enclosure is square and orthogonal, the house’s exterior edges are jagged and adaptive, reflecting the site’s topography. Rooflines follow a similar logic, with the inner courtyard featuring a symmetrical overhang, while exterior eaves are irregular and sloped to channel rainwater into collection points.

Sustainability is embedded into the building’s core systems. Rainwater is harvested through the eaves and stored in a 39,000-gallon cistern, supplying all of the home’s water needs. A 10-kilowatt solar array with a 16-kilowatt storage battery powers 95% of the home’s energy use, enabling near-total self-reliance.

Inside, a vaulted, clerestory-lit living area anchors the main wing, with family bedrooms positioned to the southeast. The guest suite on the west side includes a kitchen, dining area, and two bedrooms, offering privacy for extended stays.

“This house is really about the roof,” Murray Legge Architecture told Archinect about the scheme. “We started with a traditional suburban ranch house shape and gave it a couple of twists. The sloping exterior eave gives the house a dynamic quality while moving rainwater to the collection points. Sculptural light monitors bring daylight deep into the center of the house.”

“It’s a courtyard house set in a pretty wild forest setting,” the team added. “The controlled, serene quality of the courtyard landscape contrasts with the wild forest setting.”