Architects: Alterstudio Architecture
Area: 12,398 ft² (1,151 m²)
Year: 2019
Photography: Casey Dunn
Lead Architects: Kevin Alter, Ernesto Cragnolino, Tim Whitehill, Michael Woodland, Jenna Dezinski
Interior Designer: SZProjects
Contractor: Steve Hild Custom Builder
Landscape: Hocker
Structural Engineer: Ellinwood + Machado Consulting Engineers
Mechanical Engineer: Positive Energy
Civil Engineer: Monk Consulting Engineers
Lighting Consultant: Essential Light Design Studio
Waterproofing Consultant: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
City: Highland Park, Dallas, Texas
Country: USA
Highland Park Residence, designed by Alterstudio Architecture in Dallas, Texas, is a 12,398-square-foot family home that combines modernist architectural features, a material-rich palette, and art-focused spaces. Defined by a cantilevered limestone bar, seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, and a distinct gallery structure, the project reimagines suburban residential living through its innovative spatial and material design.
The Highland Park Residence, introduces a bold alternative to the traditional Tudor mansions and French chateaus that dominate this upscale Dallas neighborhood. Positioned on a site with no significant natural features and closely bordered by neighboring properties, the 12,398-square-foot home creates an intimate and private environment while serving as a platform for family living and art display.
Highland Park and City Park Residences were inspired by the combination of our client’s hopes and dreams, their respective places, and a desire to create buildings that would be both powerfully present and a compelling background for the rich lives lived in and around these buildings.
Interview with Kevin Alter of Alterstudio Architecture
A monumental limestone bar defining the home’s primary volume is at the heart of the design. This architectural element extends along the building line, curving inward to carve out private spaces and cantilevering an impressive 35 feet over the entry. The gesture is sculptural and functional, serving as a buffer from the street while shaping the residence’s spatial organization. Beyond the limestone volume, a separate gallery building houses a rotating collection of art, reinforcing the home’s focus on aesthetic experience. The property’s landscaping, designed by Hocker, creates a transitional boundary between the home and its surroundings. A low berm of rocks, planted with native grasses, cacti, and shrubs, provides visual separation from the street while camouflaging the garage, inviting a fresh interaction with the outdoor environment.
The design unfolds through a series of carefully crafted spaces that emphasize both discovery and connection. Expansive retracting glass doors and curved glass panels blur the distinction between interior and exterior, facilitating a continuous flow throughout the property. The double-height living room, carved into the limestone structure, introduces verticality and unexpected volume, while a 40-foot-long wall of sliding glass doors in the living-dining area opens directly onto the rear garden. This outdoor space, with its monumental concrete terraces, becomes an extension of the home’s living areas. Circulation within the ground floor emphasizes connections to nature, as pathways along windowed walls frame views of the landscape.
Materiality plays a pivotal role in defining the residence’s character. The home juxtaposes raw and refined finishes, with mill-finished steel meeting Indiana limestone panels, and custom handmade tiles paired with glazed volcanic stone from Guadalajara. Walnut cabinetry and stainless-steel fixtures add further layers of richness and tactility. The kitchen and breakfast area occupy a critical junction in the floor plan, connecting the front yard, side alley, and courtyard garden to ensure functionality and spatial cohesion. Upstairs, private living quarters are arranged around a gallery-lined corridor that separates the children’s rooms from the primary suite, creating distinct zones for privacy and interaction.
A secondary, single-story structure clad in ivy complements the main house. This additional building contains a 1,100-square-foot gallery, an office, a pool cabana, and a guest suite. The gallery itself features minimalistic interiors, including concrete floors, white walls, and three large skylights. Designed to focus solely on the art, the gallery contrasts with the material richness of the primary residence, offering an abstract and neutral space for display.
The Highland Park Residence exemplifies meticulous attention to detail, blending bold architectural gestures with a highly curated material palette. By redefining the suburban home typology, Alterstudio Architecture has created a residence that seamlessly integrates art, nature, and family life into a unified and innovative whole.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: Highland Park, Dallas, Texas, USA
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
