ROOST
Location: Austin, Texas
Design Team: Troy Miller, Philip Keil, Gary Furman, Dawson Williams, Maanasa Nathan
Contractor: Crowell Builders
Structural Engineer: Duffy Engineering
Landscape Design: Word + Carr Design Group
Lighting Design: Studio Lumina
Photographer: Leonid Furmansky
Nestled just across the water from a nature preserve, this project sits just minutes from downtown Austin. At the bottom of a bluff, fifty feet below the surrounding neighborhood, it is sheltered by large trees along the secluded waterway that is only navigable by canoes and kayaks. Reaching the site is a journey descending an extensive staircase passing through a natural stone grotto down into the wetland habitat. Abundant wildlife and natural beauty create an oasis where the owners can escape the stresses of their day to day lives.
Conceived as an elevated platform to allow the owners to inhabit nature. The platform floats over the water providing views into the trees and down the slough, while the screened porch provides a protected space for lounging and birdwatching, while area below the platform serves as a boat launch and provides access to the shoreline.
To reduce the impact of the structure on the environmentally sensitive site, eight of twelve original piles from an existing structure damaged by floods were repurposed, extended vertically, and connected to create a flood resistant superstructure that suspends the deck out of harm’s way in the tree canopy.
Recognition:
ArchDaily, “Roost Platform / Furman + Keil Architects”, 2025
Metal Construction News, “Project Focus: The Roost, Austin, Texas”, 2025
Archinect | Featured Project “Roost”, 2025
Architecture Lab, “Roost / Furman + Keil Architects”, 2025
Residential Design Architecture Awards 2024, Custom Outdoor Living Design Citation Award