Austin, TX \u2014 What if your home could tell stories? One house in Austin’s historic Travis Heights neighborhood has about 90 years of stories, and it’s lived a few different lives along the way.<\/p>\n
Built in 1935, Rutherford Place is one of nine homes featured in the 2026 AIA Austin Homes Tour<\/a>, giving visitors a chance to explore some of the city’s most interesting architecture, from historic renovations to modern homes featuring unusual and sustainable building materials.<\/p>\n But Rutherford Place has a particularly interesting past.<\/p>\n “It was originally a duplex when it was built, and someone along the way turned it into a really sketchy triplex,” said Carina Coel, principal architect of Restructure Studio. When the current homeowners purchased the property, they wanted to transform it into a single-family home for their growing family while preserving its historic character. That meant finding creative ways to make the existing spaces work.<\/p>\n Coel and her team opened up the interior to bring in more natural light and create larger gathering spaces, while preserving original architectural features wherever possible. “The actual footprint of those rooms didn’t change, and the archway between them didn’t change,” Coel explained. “We just repurposed them to something else.” One example is the upstairs primary suite. What once served as a living room, dining room and kitchen is now a bedroom, closet and bathroom, connected by the same original archways.<\/p>\n Other historic details remain throughout the home, including original wood flooring and salvaged door hardware. The team also restored the home’s historic appearance by replacing its roof with terracotta tiles, matching those shown in early photographs.<\/p>\n Preserving the past while building for the future<\/p>\n Sustainability was another important part of the renovation. Rather than demolishing the existing structure, the architects preserved much of the original layout and materials, limiting the home’s expansion to a small staircase addition at the back. The team also replaced old, inefficient windows with modern energy-efficient versions designed to look like the originals. “We really did try to preserve as much as we could with the materials and the layout,” Coel said.<\/p>\n The approach helped maintain the home’s historic character while making it more comfortable and functional for modern family life. And there’s one particularly personal detail hidden in the wood floors: a custom family brand created for the homeowners and incorporated into several spots throughout the house.<\/p>\n Nine homes, nine different stories<\/p>\n Rutherford Place is just one of nine homes opening their doors during the 40th annual AIA Austin Homes Tour. Ingrid Spencer, executive director of AIA Austin, said the tour is designed to showcase a wide variety of architectural styles, neighborhoods and approaches to residential design. “We don’t pick nine of the same style. It’s always different,” Spencer said.<\/p>\n This year’s lineup includes new construction, historic renovations and homes incorporating some unexpected materials. “There’s a rammed earth house, there’s a house that uses cork, so I think people are going to have a lot to talk about at the dinner table that night,” Spencer said.<\/p>\n Sustainability and changing lifestyles are also influencing residential architecture across Central Texas. Spencer said architects are increasingly incorporating features such as screened-in porches and accessory dwelling units to accommodate changing climate conditions and family needs.<\/p>\n And while some of the homes may be outside the average homeowner’s budget, Spencer said visitors can still walk away with practical ideas. “The tours give you ideas and inspiration that everyone can take something from,” she said.<\/p>\n