Verde creek
Location: Bandera, Tx
Size: 6,000 Square Feet
Photography: Casey Dunn
+ project completed as an employee at Lake Flato Architects
Located on a 20,000 acre south Texas family ranch, Verde Creek Ranch is sited at the convergence of three different landscapes: Texas grasslands, Verde Creek, and a large bluff. The home was situated to take advantage of all three biomes. tucked between the bluff to the north and the creek to the south, the prevailing winds move across the grasslands through the house, providing access to gentle summer breezes and generous natural lighting.
The homestead is organized to fully embrace outdoor living. A main pavilion houses the communal spaces of the home, the kitchen, living, and dining rooms as well as the outdoor kitchen overlooking the creek and the grasslands beyond. Branching off of the main pavilion are four separate private living volumes connected by covered breezeways, a master suite, a guest cottage along the bluff, and two cottage suites for the families teenage daughters facing the creek to the south.
The material palette is inspired by the surrounding native materials of South Texas and selected specifically for their durability and the ability to weather beautifully over time. The buildings are primarily clad in cypress wood siding, reflective of the existing old growth cypress trees that line the banks of the creek to the south. Solid portions of the home are composed of Lueders limestone, reflective of the natural Texas limestone deposits along the bluff to the north.
West Texas ranch homes are a hallmark of Texas identity, and Verde Creek Ranch aims to embrace that proud tradition while also looking to build upon the rich connection that Texans have to the land. This home represents the first phase of a large master plan for the extended family. The family worked closely with us to responsibly site each future home site as well as to develop strategies to help return the land to nature in a responsible manner. This site as well as future sites will be primarily served by on site solar arrays along with Tesla batteries to take advantage of the South Texas sun.
