Budget Breakdown: An Architect Couple Find Work/Life Balance With a Backyard Office Built for $144K

The founders of Austin-based Hunt Architecture create an elegant workspace and guest room without breaking the bank.

Jul 14, 2021 - 00:34

Budget Breakdown: An Architect Couple Find Work/Life Balance With a Backyard Office Built for $144K

The founders of Austin-based Hunt Architecture create an elegant workspace and guest room without breaking the bank.

Conveniently located in their backyard, the office allows the couple to run their practice while staying close to their kids.

Brittany and Nick Hunt met at work in the summer of 2013, at the studio of renowned architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, near Central Park in New York City. "We sat five feet away from each other," says Brittany. "It was a dream job for both of us."

$2,800 Demolition	$8,185 General Conditions	$9,725 Concrete Foundation & Floor Finish
$8,465 Framing	$15,620 Windows & Doors	$11,545 Exterior Stucco & Cedar
$6,445 HVAC	$12,260 Plumbing & Fixtures	$11,450 Electrical & Light Fixtures
$6,550 Standing Seam Metal Roof	$2,340 Insulation	$9,120 Drywall, Trim, Painting
$6,845 Millwork	$5,025 Stone Countertop & Concrete Sink	$570 Hardware
$335 Appliances	$23,456 Contractor Fee	$3,200 Permits
Grand Total: $143,936

Texas couple Brittany and Nick Hunt, partners in life and at Hunt Architecture, created an office on the grounds of their Austin home that allows them to run their practice while staying close to their kids. — Texas couple Brittany and Nick Hunt, partners in life and at Hunt Architecture, created an office on the grounds of their Austin home. Walls clad in burnished LaHabra stucco and cedar siding give the building a lived-in vibe. "We want it to feel like it’s been here for years," Nick says. "We like that the siding is wearing a little bit, and the stucco has variation, and it doesn’t look perfect."
Photo by Leonid Furmansky

But it was also demanding, with long hours compounded by a commute. By late 2016, Nick left to work full-time for Hunt Architecture, a firm he’d founded with his brother, Andrew, and with Brittany expecting their first child, the decision was made: They wanted a new lifestyle.

In the office, the desks and rug are from IKEA, while the Fjord Surface light is from Cedar and Moss and the JWDA table lamp is by Jonas Wagell for Menu. Near the entrance, an antique wheel from Portland Salvage complements the structure's wooden accents.
Photo by Leonid Furmansky

In fall 2017 they moved to Austin, Texas, where Brittany had gone to school, and she joined the firm the following year. At first, they ran the practice out of a sunroom in their bungalow. "It was the perfect spot initially," says Nick, but when their second child arrived, "we needed to get out of the house."