A Courtyard House in Austin Resembles a "Reverse Coconut"

Murray Legge Architecture creates a flexible, budget-conscious home for a German expat on a shared lot in East Austin.

May 9, 2021 - 00:51
A Courtyard House in Austin Resembles a "Reverse Coconut"

Murray Legge Architecture creates a flexible, budget-conscious home for a German expat on a shared lot in East Austin.

Set on a west-facing lot in East Austin, the compact Canterbury House by Murray Legge Architecture takes the shape of a simple box with a hole punched in the middle.

When global e-commerce director Nils Timmermann decided to make Texas his permanent home after six years away from his native Germany, he set his sights on the rapidly developing East Austin. "To me, Austin is the best kept secret in America, and this neighborhood is a unique spot since it's close to downtown but still feels suburban," explains Nils. After scoping out several homes for sale in the area, he came across an empty lot under development that caught his eye. 

Set on a west-facing lot in East Austin, the compact Canterbury House by Murray Legge Architecture takes the shape of a simple box with a hole punched in the middle.

Set on a west-facing lot in East Austin, the compact Canterbury House by Murray Legge Architecture takes the shape of a simple box with a hole punched in the middle.

Photo: Leonid Furmansky

A group of people had purchased one large lot and subdivided it to build four small homes with a single architect, but when one of the clients dropped out midway through design, the project stalled. 

"My friend is a real estate agent, and he warned me against taking this on," says Nils. "It was a new-build project, and the clients all had to agree on a shared architectural language." However, when Nils met the project’s architect, Murray Legge, he was ready to take the leap: "I liked the basic framework [Murray] had designed, and I felt like I could still make it my home."

LaHabra white stucco connects the home to its context of protomodern stucco-and-concrete houses dotting the neighborhood. "The window openings play with depth and give the stucco a carved feeling," says Legge.

LaHabra white stucco connects the home to its context of protomodern stucco-and-concrete houses dotting the neighborhood. "The window openings play with depth and give the stucco a carved feeling," says Legge.

Photo: Leonid Furmansky

The 1,700-square-foot Canterbury House is organized around an inner courtyard, establishing a protected outdoor room between the main living areas and an adjacent, self-contained guest suite. The primary bedroom sits above the guest suite, connected via a glass-fronted bridge that looks down over the courtyard.

The 12-by-18-foot interior courtyard is clad in garapa hardwood and capped with a 1.5-ton steel shade structure. Legge was inspired by the southern vernacular form of the dogtrot house, which features a breezeway through the center to encourage natural ventilation.

The 12-by-18-foot interior courtyard is clad in garapa hardwood and capped with a 1.5-ton steel shade structure. Legge was inspired by the southern vernacular form of the dogtrot house, which features a breezeway through the center to encourage natural ventilation.

Photo: Leonid Furmansky

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