Austin residential design firm LaRue Architects proudly celebrates its 32nd anniversary in 2021. These days, few things in Austin can claim a 32-year longevity, but this award-winning firm has endured, creating each new home as a unique and tailored piece of architecture that is specific to its owner and its site.
Principal Jim LaRue and his team have perfected a Hill Country Contemporary vernacular that draws on regional building methods and materials and the unique environment – topography, wind, trees, and of course, sun – for its modernist-inspired approach to Central Texas living. Whether it’s a Westlake lakefront property, a tight site in Clarksville or a suburban context, LaRue’s work all around Austin captures what people love most about living here, from long views and big skies, to breezes through the treetops, glimpses of rolling hills, and frames of a vibrant cityscape.
LaRue and his close-knit team cultivate a family atmosphere in the office that translates to their client relationships, many of which have been ongoing for decades. Staying deliberately small lets the team cater to clients’ needs with personal attention and hands-on problem solving. All along the way, these client relationships have been the core of the firm’s success. Often starting with an on-site meeting with lawn chairs and a cold beverage to experience the site at different times of the day, followed by lines on a sheet of trace paper and continuing all the way through to envisioning a child’s future wedding in the backyard, the relationship grows and solidifies over the course of years. The tried-and-tested team also includes top-notch builders and consultants who understand how to bring the firm’s work into realization. And, using 3-D computer modeling the architects allow clients to virtually get inside each room to understand the spaces before a single brick is laid, fully engaging them in the creation of their new home.
Over the past three decades, LaRue Architects’ homes have received dozens of awards and have been included on numerous homes tours, including the 2019 AIA Austin Homes tour last October. With more than 400 private residences under its belt, the firm completes a limited number of projects each year in order to enjoy the close contact with clients and has expanded its reach to include work in Dallas and Houston, as well as far flung places like Tennessee, South Carolina, and even Massachusetts.
Always pushing for innovation while striving for timeless design not beholden to gimmicks or trends, LaRue and his team continue to build the firm’s legacy of creating singular settings for an elegant and easy – uniquely Austin – way of life.
LOCATION: Austin, Texas
LEARN MORE: larue-architects.com
Dubbed Laceback Terrace by LaRue Architects, this striking residence rests on a 0.75-acre plot in Austin’s Hill Country. The site’s natural slope, beginning at street level and dropping nearly 30 feet to the rear, creates a sense of both drama and possibility.
Rockcliff Residence, designed by LaRue Architects, is a serene 6,200-square-foot home situated on 1.675 acres along Lake Austin. Built for a young family, this four-bedroom, four-bathroom, and three-half-bath residence embodies lakeside living, blending natural beauty with contemporary design.
Fiore Residence is the new home of a California family recently relocated from the Pacific Coast to the rolling hills of Austin, Texas. They chose to build their forever home in Texas Hill Country, away from Austin’s city core. To achieve their vision, they hired the award-winning design firms Britt Design Group and LaRue Architects.
LaRue Architects designed a sprawling residence fronting Lake Austin that features a main house at 6,000 Sq Ft. There are three adjacent casitas connected by floating walkways – the entire footprint of this lakefront home totals just over 13,000 Sq Ft.
This stunning, modern residence was designed with a northeast farmhouse typology by LaRue Architects. The home’s layout features modern cantilevered ‘boxes’ juxtaposed with gabled house forms.
LaRue and Foursquare Builders took great time and care to hold on to the home’s historic character. The team set out to painstakingly restore and rebuild — as old and new now seamlessly meld in the new 3,900 SF home.
Architect James LaRue, LaRue Architects set out to design and build their dream home. The lot fronts Lake Travis, a serene setting. LaRue perched the home on a 150 foot steep grade that runs strait up from the shoreline for the optimal views and direct access to the lake.
Renowned Austin architect James LaRue, LaRue Architects, took his dated Austin condo down to the studs. James and his wife purchased the townhome in the a desirable west Austin neighborhood just over a year ago.
