Discover Architectural Excellence: The 15th Annual AIA Dallas Tour of Homes Returns This October
Architecture enthusiasts and design aficionados are invited to explore the cutting-edge and classic residential masterpieces of North Texas. The highly anticipated AIA Dallas Tour of Homes, the only citywide home tour exclusively curated by architects, is back for its 15th anniversary. Mark your calendars for Saturday and Sunday, October 23-24, to immerse yourself in exceptional design.
This milestone year brings an exciting expansion, showcasing architectural brilliance not just within Dallas, but also extending to homes in Denton and a stunning property located outside of Tyler. This broader scope promises a richer, more diverse experience for all attendees.
“The AIA Dallas Tour of Homes proudly celebrates the remarkable beauty and sheer diversity of architectural styles found in Texas homes,” states Michael Malone, FAIA, committee co-chair and founding principal at Malone Maxwell Dennehy Architects. “This year’s curated collection truly highlights a wide spectrum of housing options, varying in both style and size. Visitors will encounter everything from sleek contemporary designs and bold modern aesthetics to charming rustic-modern retreats, intricate historic renovations, eclectic residences, and innovative industrial-style living spaces.”
The Tour of Homes serves as a premier platform to exhibit the extraordinary talent of our city’s architects, spotlighting their most innovative and outstanding residential designs. This year’s tour will feature groundbreaking properties in some of Dallas’ most coveted neighborhoods, including Preston Hollow, Oak Cliff, Lake Highlands, Lakewood, and Turtle Creek. For the first time ever, the tour also ventures into Denton and East Texas, offering a fresh perspective on regional architectural trends.
Following the necessary pivot to entirely virtual tours last year due to COVID-19, the 2021 event carefully orchestrates a return to in-person experiences alongside robust virtual options. This thoughtful hybrid approach ensures accessibility and comfort for all participants. Seven homes will be available for in-person visits, two will be accessible exclusively through virtual tours, and one exceptional home in Denton will offer both in-person and virtual viewing options.
**Explore From Anywhere: The Virtual Tour Experience**
The three captivating virtual tours provide an intimate, hour-long video walkthrough of each property, personally guided by the architects themselves. These include:
- **Five House (Denton)**: A rustic-modern pool casita that perfectly complements its historic mid-century modern main residence, offering an elegant blend of old and new.
- **Sugar Creek (Outside Tyler)**: A sophisticated modern home nestled in a picturesque wooded setting. This property also boasts a newly commissioned sculpture by the acclaimed Dallas photographer and architect Craig D. Blackmon, FAIA, adding an artistic dimension to its architectural splendor.
- **Gold Crest (Turtle Creek Boulevard, Dallas)**: A magnificent high-rise residence, whose original design was conceived by the notable Dallas architect George Dahl. The virtual tour will delve into its iconic heritage and contemporary elegance.
Virtual tickets grant exclusive digital access to these three distinctive homes.
**Step Inside Architectural Masterpieces: The In-Person Tours**
For those eager to experience these homes firsthand, the in-person tours feature an equally impressive lineup of properties. Highlights include:
- A pioneering sustainable home on **Stonegate Road** that is actively pursuing quadruple energy and green building certifications, proudly producing an astonishing five to seven times more energy than it consumes.
- A meticulous historic renovation of a charming farmhouse on **Kessler Parkway**, blending heritage with modern living.
- A sprawling 6,000-square-foot contemporary home nestled in the prestigious **Preston Hollow** neighborhood.
- And many more architectural gems that promise to inspire and delight.
This self-guided tour spans both Saturday and Sunday, October 23-24, with homes open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A range of ticketing options are available to suit every preference:
- Tickets for the in-person-only tours are $45.
- Tickets for the three exclusive virtual tours are also $45.
- For the ultimate architectural immersion, a combined all-access pass, providing entry to all 10 homes (both in-person and virtual), is available for $75.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased conveniently at www.hometourdallas.com.
**An Exclusive Evening: The Premiere Party**
Elevate your tour experience by attending the separately ticketed **Premiere Party**, held on Thursday, October 21, the evening before the tour officially begins. This exclusive event takes place at a magnificent Forest Hills home that is not otherwise featured on the main tour, offering a unique opportunity. Tickets for the Premiere Party are $125 and include a delightful evening of passed hors d’oeuvres, an open bar, and invaluable meet-and-greet opportunities with the visionary architects behind this year’s featured homes. Additionally, Premiere Party tickets include a combined in-person and virtual access pass to the entire tour. Stay tuned to Daltxrealestate.com for an exciting ticket giveaway for both the Premiere Party and full AIA Dallas Tour of Homes access!
**Enhance Your Tour with the Official App**
All ticket holders will receive access to a dedicated mobile app designed to enrich their event experience. This innovative tool allows participants to plan their tour route effortlessly and have a wealth of content at their fingertips while exploring. The app features interactive maps, stunning images, insightful commentary directly from the tour architects, direct access to the virtual tours, captivating photos, videos, and exclusive supplementary content. The addresses for all in-person homes will be made available on www.hometourdallas.com and within the app one week prior to the event.
**A Sneak Peek: Featured Homes on the 2021 Tour**
Prepare to be inspired by the remarkable residences awaiting your discovery. Here’s an exclusive preview of the homes showcased on this year’s AIA Dallas Tour of Homes:
Bon Aire Drive: A Fusion of History and Modernity
Architect: Zero 3 Design
Nestled in the charming Old Lake Highlands neighborhood, the Bon Aire Residence by Zero 3 Design stands as a truly atypical and deeply personal architectural statement. This home is the culmination of more than eight years of close collaboration between the visionary architect and the homeowners, who tirelessly scoured Round Top, Texas, in pursuit of unique, one-of-a-kind treasures and architectural artifacts.
The design of the Bon Aire Residence is meticulously tailored to the distinct lifestyle and passions of its inhabitants. It is firmly rooted in a rich tapestry of history, showcasing a fascinating array of salvaged architectural elements and materials, vibrant and expressive colors and textures, a profound love for nature and lush plant life, and intriguing collections of vintage war memorabilia and classic muscle cars. Throughout the home, visitors will discover an eclectic mix of architectural artifacts—including antique doors, windows, stately columns, intricate corbels, rustic shutters, and distinctive light fixtures. Some of these elements serve their original, intended purposes, while others have been ingeniously repurposed to meet new functional and aesthetic needs within the modern living space. These carefully curated artifacts, harmoniously combined with contemporary construction techniques, endow the Bon Aire Residence with a comfortable and thoroughly modern sensibility, yet it remains rich with historical references and materials. This unique blend creates an ideal, personalized backdrop that perfectly celebrates the homeowners and their diverse hobbies, cherished collections, and profound passions.
Five House: A Modern Casita Designed for Connection
Architect: M Gooden Design
The Five House, a remarkable accessory dwelling unit envisioned by M Gooden Design, represents a thoughtful extension that gracefully embraces the historic midcentury modern main residence on its property, originally constructed in 1949. These two distinct structures are seamlessly connected by expansive entertainment decks and a sleek linear pool, creating a cohesive and inviting outdoor living environment.
Designed with a focus on fluidity and an effortless indoor-outdoor lifestyle, the living room and kitchen areas of Five House open directly onto the pool terrace. This strategic layout provides an immediate, luxurious cabana-like experience, perfect for relaxation and entertaining. The integration of operable louvers and sophisticated shades allows residents to effortlessly adjust the level of privacy and sunlight, tailoring the ambiance to their specific desires. Inside, the design emphasizes openness and comfort, characterized by dramatic pitched ceilings and strategically placed clerestory windows that flood the space with natural light. The core design concept for Five House prioritized simplicity of form, complementary proportions, and exceptional planning efficiency. Notably, the dwelling’s entire layout adheres to a strict five-foot planning grid, a fundamental principle from which its distinctive name, “Five House,” was derived, underscoring its precise and harmonious design.
Gold Crest: A High-Rise Renovation on Turtle Creek Boulevard
Architect: WELCH | HALL Architects
Originally conceived by the esteemed Dallas architect George Dahl, Gold Crest stands as one of the most architecturally significant buildings gracing Turtle Creek Boulevard. The featured fourth-floor residence draws profound design inspiration from the historic 1965 high-rise that houses it, celebrating its mid-century legacy while embracing contemporary living.
Perched just above the lush tree line, this apartment offers a stunning northeast exposure, commanding panoramic views of the verdant Turtle Creek Parkway, the dynamic Uptown skyline, and even a glimpse of Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Kalita Humphreys | Dallas Theater Center. The building’s signature wraparound balconies provide residents with a seamless and expansive connection to the outdoors from every individual apartment, blurring the lines between interior comfort and exterior beauty. The meticulous renovation process involved stripping the unit down to its original structural elements, allowing for maximum optimization of the overall volume and a fresh, minimalist canvas. The chosen material palette is elegantly restrained, featuring warm oak flooring, exquisite cypress millwork, crisp white walls, and delicate sheer fabric along the perimeter glass, which diffuses light beautifully. A striking accent wall off the main living space incorporates the very same ledgestone that adorns the original exterior of the 1965 building, creating a subtle yet powerful link to its architectural heritage. The homeowner’s impressive collections of art, books, and sophisticated furniture have been thoughtfully integrated into the home’s design; notably, a continuous library spans the entire length of the space, elegantly passing through four distinct rooms. Above this, a continuous mirrored band masterfully reflects the outdoors, further blurring the distinction between actual and perceived space, and enhancing the feeling of expansive openness.
Kessler Parkway: A Historic Farmhouse Reimagined
Architect: WELCH | HALL Architects
This modest and unassuming farmhouse, which was relocated to its present site in the Kessler area of Oak Cliff in 1940, had fallen into a state of disrepair and was in dire need of a complete revitalization. It sits in a uniquely tranquil spot, isolated across Kessler Parkway from the main neighborhood, positioned gracefully at the base of the Coombs Creek Trail. Tucked into the lush greenbelt, beneath the canopy of mature trees, it lies just beyond the shadow cast by Interstate 30, creating an unexpected oasis of calm. The home itself presents a captivating blend of architectural styles, exhibiting characteristics of Texas Regional Vernacular, yet it is officially designated as a Colonial Revival. Intriguingly, despite its deeply historic nature, the dwelling shares numerous commonalities with the principles of Modernism, a testament to its timeless appeal.
The comprehensive restoration process for this property demanded taking the structure down to its bare studs, allowing for the complete installation of all-new systems and contemporary finishes, ensuring both structural integrity and modern comfort. The exterior is defined by a simple yet elegant white-painted board and batten siding, complemented by a classic double gable roof and two inviting porches, gracing both the front and rear of the home. The overall design embraces simplicity and honesty, meticulously preserving the inherent character of the original architecture. This same restrained aesthetic extends to the interior spaces, where a clean, craft-focused backdrop is provided. This understated elegance serves as the perfect canvas for the homeowner’s carefully curated collection of Scandinavian and Japanese furnishings, allowing each piece to stand out beautifully within its revitalized historic shell.
Lyre Lane: Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Living in Lakewood
Architect: James E. Manning Architect
For James E. Manning Architect, a home should transcend mere functionality; it should profoundly connect its owners to the unique beauty and tranquility of their living environment. The Lyre Lane Residence masterfully embodies this philosophy, creating an immersive experience where sunlight bathes the kitchen in a warm glow, the gentle gurgle of a nearby creek can be distinctly heard from the serene bedroom, and the spacious patio invites relaxation in the welcoming shade of an ancient cottonwood tree. This design ingeniously blurs the traditional separation between inside and outside, fostering a continuous, harmonious flow.
The home’s layout cleverly focuses inward with a private courtyard entry, the undisputed centerpiece of which is a magnificent, mature Japanese maple, a cherished original feature of the site. In contrast, the shared living spaces are thoughtfully oriented towards the rear of the lot, embracing the tranquil presence of the creek, and are discreetly screened from the street view, ensuring privacy. Situated on a desirable corner lot in the vibrant Lakewood neighborhood, the Lyre Lane home benefits from a canopy of mature trees and a naturally sloping site. This topographical advantage allows the house to present as a graceful single-story structure from the front, harmonizing seamlessly with its established neighborhood. Simultaneously, the clever design accommodates a spacious garage and a versatile bonus room on a secluded lower level, maximizing both aesthetic integration and practical utility.
Manett Street: Contemporary Urban Living in Knox-Henderson
Architect: Modern Living Dwellings
The Manett Townhomes, a distinguished project by Modern Living Dwellings, are strategically situated in the dynamic Knox-Henderson neighborhood, offering an exemplary model of contemporary urban living. Their sleek, contemporary style provides a perfectly balanced and visually cohesive transition between the bustling commercial area to the south and the more serene residential neighborhood to the north. These townhomes are meticulously designed to offer residents a comfortable, casual, yet undeniably upscale live/work environment, catering to the multifaceted needs of modern city dwellers.
A key design principle employed in the Manett Townhomes is a linear layout, which brilliantly maximizes both sweeping views and abundant natural lighting, effectively “bringing the outdoors in” and creating bright, airy spaces. Internally, the townhomes feature meticulously crafted, museum-quality walls and precisely placed strategic lighting, specifically designed to beautifully highlight and display the owners’ cherished art collections. Beyond aesthetics, these residences are fully wired for state-of-the-art home automation and advanced AV technology, providing residents with unparalleled convenience and control over their living environment. While embracing a minimalist contemporary detailing, the architects have thoughtfully integrated warm, inviting materials throughout the homes. This deliberate choice tempers the modern edges, creating an atmosphere that is not only stylish but also exceptionally welcoming and truly livable for its occupants.
Stonegate Residence: A Paradigm of Energy-Positive Living
Architect: PM-AD
Completed in 2020, the Stonegate Residence by PM-AD represents a groundbreaking achievement in sustainable architecture, standing as an energy-positive ranch-style home that astonishingly produces five to seven times more energy than it consumes. From the initial conceptualization through to the final stages of construction, sustainability was the paramount consideration, driving every design and material choice. This ambitious project is currently pursuing an impressive quadruple certification, aiming for LEED v4.2 Platinum, LEED Zero Energy, EnergyStar, and Green Built Texas recognitions, underscoring its commitment to environmental stewardship.
The architectural language of the Stonegate Residence draws profound inspiration from Usonian design principles, a distinctive style pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright. Usonian homes are renowned for their characteristic flat roofing, innovative passive solar heating systems, and an abundance of natural light that permeates the living spaces. A hallmark of this style, and beautifully executed in the Stonegate home, is the seamless visual continuity between the interior and exterior environments. This is achieved through expansive windows and strategically placed doorways that effortlessly merge the inside of the home with its natural surroundings, fostering a deep connection to the outdoors and maximizing natural ventilation and views. The Stonegate Residence is not just a home; it’s a living testament to how modern architecture can achieve profound ecological balance without compromising on comfort or aesthetic appeal.
Strait Lane: Framed Views and Natural Harmony
Architect: DGA Douglas Guiling Architect
The Strait Lane Residence, a creation of DGA Douglas Guiling Architect, is gracefully situated in a tranquil and highly sought-after neighborhood, just south of the prestigious Hockaday School. A prominent natural feature, a charming creek, flows along the east side of the home, providing a truly wonderful and serene natural backdrop that enhances the property’s peaceful ambiance. The design of the residence masterfully leverages this picturesque setting, integrating expansive windows, thoughtfully designed outdoor living areas, and dynamic interactive balconies that collectively forge a strong, seamless connection between the interior living spaces and the captivating nature just outside. As a result, every room is abundantly filled with natural light, often streaming in from two distinct sides, creating bright and inviting environments throughout the day.
Drawing significant influence from the pioneering architectural philosophies of Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn, the home incorporates several key elements that speak to their legacies. These include generous, sheltering overhangs that provide both aesthetic appeal and practical solar protection, meticulously architect-designed details that elevate the craftsmanship, and a carefully choreographed spatial experience that continually offers moments of discovery. Within the Strait Lane Residence, views are not merely present; they are meticulously framed, turning each window into a living artwork and inviting residents to connect with their surroundings in a profound and engaging way.
Sugar Creek: Modern Living in a Wooded East Texas Retreat
Architect: Fitzpatrick Architects
The Sugar Creek home, designed by Fitzpatrick Architects, is gracefully situated within a serene wooded setting, yet remains conveniently adjacent to the rapidly developing city of Tyler. This strategic placement allows the residence to foster a powerful and intimate connection with the surrounding natural environment. The structure itself elegantly combines a sophisticated modern aesthetic with advanced building technologies, while simultaneously paying homage to the vernacular structures characteristic of rural East Texas through its thoughtful use of form and carefully selected materials.
The design of this home is meticulously optimized for exceptional energy consumption and minimized maintenance, reflecting a commitment to sustainable and practical living. Its robust steel framework structure facilitates the creation of generous, voluminous spaces throughout the interior, imparting a sense of openness and grandeur. Complementing this, expansive, sweeping overhangs not only provide inviting shaded areas perfect for entryways and outdoor entertaining but also offer crucial solar protection for the home’s numerous large windows. These windows are pivotal in blurring the boundaries between the interior and exterior, ensuring that the beauty of the wooded landscape is a constant, integrated part of the living experience within the Sugar Creek residence. As an additional artistic highlight, Sugar Creek proudly features a newly commissioned sculpture by the award-winning Dallas photographer and architect Craig D. Blackmon, FAIA, further enriching its unique character.
Wickmere Mews: Historic Townhome with Dallas Skyline Views
Architect: DSGN Associates
Perched majestically on high ground to the west of the Trinity River, the historic 1908 Wickmere Mews townhome offers a breathtaking, sweeping panoramic view of the vibrant downtown Dallas skyline. This distinguished single-family dwelling serves as a graceful bookend to the adjacent townhouse development, yet it proudly maintains its own unique and independent architectural style, setting it apart. The modest size of the lot presented a fascinating challenge to DSGN Associates, the architect, who responded with an ingenious design that optimizes every square foot of space for maximum efficiency and livability.
The home’s interior is thoughtfully designed to expertly accommodate the owner’s impressive and extensive collection of contemporary paintings, transforming the living spaces into a private gallery. It features a refined material palette primarily composed of steel and warm wood, which together create a sophisticated and inviting aesthetic. The entire residence is intelligently organized around a centrally located, striking U-shaped staircase, which serves as both a functional element and a visual anchor. Bedrooms and living areas are strategically maximized to draw in abundant exterior light and to perfectly frame the stunning eastern skyline view. Capping off this remarkable home is a spectacular roof deck, providing unparalleled 360-degree vistas of the entire city, an ideal spot for entertaining or tranquil contemplation.