Construction Diary: In West Texas, an Adobe House Gets a Donald Judd–Inspired Revamp
Twenty minutes from Marfa, a couple bring a 1914 home back to basics by peeling away faux stone, preserving marbelized tile, and building an addition that’s boxy in the best way.
Twenty minutes from Marfa, a couple bring a 1914 home back to basics by peeling away faux stone, preserving marbelized tile, and building an addition that’s boxy in the best way.
Hallie Ferguson has been traveling to Fort Davis in West Texas since she was a little girl, when her geologist father would lead the family on a seven-hour drive from Austin to experience this picturesque landscape centered around the Davis Mountains. With its higher elevation (just under 5,000 feet), this is one of the coolest summertime spots in the state.
A view of the rocky high desert terrain on the home’s property.
Chick Rabourn
The town is named for historic Fort Davis, a U.S. Army frontier post established in 1854 that’s now a national historic site. Just a 20-minute drive away is Marfa, the artist enclave made famous by legendary minimalist sculptor Donald Judd. Classic movies have been filmed in this area, from 1956’s Giant (with James Dean and Elizabeth Taylor) to 2007’s Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood. With the McDonald Observatory nearby and a Dark Skies Initiative for the region, it’s is also an ideal spot for stargazing.
The original house was built in 1914, on a slightly raised portion of the site.
Casey Dunn
Hallie and her brothers had inherited their father’s local vacation house and shared it for decades. But when she saw a 1914 adobe home hit the market near picturesque Sleeping Lion Mountain, Hallie and her partner, Stuart, couldn’t pass it up.
After purchasing the property, the couple commissioned Stephen "Chick" Rabourn of Marfa’s Remote Architecture for a renovation and addition—and then at Rabourn’s recommendation she also brought on Austin firm Fox Fox Studio.
The home enjoys views of the Davis Mountains and Sleeping Lion Mountain. The backyard addition—providing a new living room, bedroom, and bath—tilts away from the original home at an angle, to capture views.
Casey Dunn
See the full story on Dwell.com: Construction Diary: In West Texas, an Adobe House Gets a Donald Judd–Inspired Revamp
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