The cultural memory of this house begins on the back roads to Austin, where intense sun, heat, rain and availability of material shape the architecture. The house follows the West setback, one room wide, bending towards the prevailing summer breezes in front of three existing mature live oaks - creating a private courtyard protected from the Western sun. The courtyard with its pool and iconic porch are the social fulcrum of the house. The house arrays itself programmatically and spatially around the courtyard on both levels. A cedar deck accessed from all second level spaces shades the entry porch and glazing below. Expansive glass and decks make the pool and courtyard an outdoor extension of interior living space –an important component of Central Texas Hill Country vernacular. Sustainability is expressed in the basic site response/orientation and also in economy of means - materials and form. The entry sequence, modeled after a ‘dogtrot’ cabin, aids continuous airflow through the courtyard and the house.