As the second largest state in the country and with some of the fastest growing and most creative communities in the country, it may seem intimidating to find the right company to design your new home. You aren’t limited by geography when hiring an architect, which means that you can hire a top-tier architecture practice in Austin, even if you live in Houston, or from the DFW area even if you are from San Antonio. Luckily for you we, we spent the time to research hundreds of architecture firms working in Texas to come up with a list of the ten best residential architects for your custom home project.
The companies on this list have earned recognition for their beautiful custom homes throughout the county. Not only are their custom homes published nationally, and in some cases in other countries as well, but they have earned many of the top awards in the design field — inclusion on Architectural Digest’s prestigious AD100, an annual list of the best 100 architect and interior designs in the world, Firm of the Year awards from local AIA chapters, and the Architecture Firm of the Year Texas Society of Architects. So whether you are looking to design a sprawling ranch home, a beach house on the Gulf Coast, or a modern city home, the TX architectural practice below can help you design your dream home with the right floor plan, budget, and size for your lifestyle and tastes. They are experts at integrating sustainable and green design into their custom homes and designing site-specific houses. And they frequently collaborate with the area’s best general contractor companies and home builders and high-end interior designers. This means your custom home will be designed for your needs, built to last, and furnished with a design that highlights both.
About our methodology: We considered hundreds of professionals while making this list of the 10 best custom home architects in Texas. In addition to professional associations, we heavily weighted recognition the firm has received in the form of awards and press, any prestigious clientele they have worked with, whether or not they collaborate with other top industry professionals, including architects and interior designers, and what areas they work in, the more exclusive and high-end neighborhoods having greater influence. We also took into account the value of the projects they undertake, years in the business, customer reviews for quality and service, and range of services offered. We also took into account geographic location in order to give you a good sampling of the best companies across the state.
If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.
This list includes both licensed architects and residential designers who can both design stunning homes but differ in other services offered. Architects are trained in design, engineering, and project management and have passed a licensing exam. Residential designers typically don’t manage projects and plans will need to be approved by a structural engineer. Whether you choose to hire an architect or a residential designer will depend on your project needs and complexity.
10) Overland Partners
203 E Jones Ave Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78215
Where they work: Worldwide
San Antonio’s Overland Partners has earned more than 200 international, national, regional, and local design awards for their well-crafted and beautiful projects. Their gorgeous custom homes are not only beautiful, but designs with the individual homeowner and site in mind. The design firm is run by multiple principals, including three who have been elevated to the College of Fellows by the AIA: Timothy B. Blonkvist, Robert L. Shemwell, and Richard M. Archer. The firm was honored with the recognition by Architect Magazine as one of the top 50 design firms in the United States in 2015 and one of the top 50 sustainable design firms in 2016. Not surprisingly, The Texas Society of Architects awarded Overland Partners the Firm of the Year award in 2010. Their work has been published in numerous national and international publications.
Overland Partners was founded in 1987. Today, the company brings together diverse talents to provide comprehensive services to clients throughout the world. In addition to their luxury private homes, Overland works on education, civic and cultural, healthcare, hospitality, urban design, and commercial projects. In all of their work, the practice is sensitive to the environmental and aesthetic context. They are experts in the thoughtful integration of art, technology, and craft, allowing them to uncover world-class, innovative sustainable design solutions.
9) Andersson-Wise Architects
807 Brazos Street, Suite 800, Austin, TX 78701
Where they work: Nationwide
Andersson-Wise Architects is an award-winning architecture firm led by renowned architects Arthur W. Andersson, FAIA, and R. Christian Wise, AIA. Their designs have caught the attention of many leading shelter publications, including Interior Design Magazine, Austin American-Statesman, Introspective Magazine, Texas Architect, Mountain Living, and Remodelista. Their work has received awards from the AIA Austin, Texas Society of Architects Design Award, and is an ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Award – Gold Medal Winner, among others.
Design Director Arthur W. Andersson, FAIA, integrates clients into the collaborative process. He has been designing homes across the country for over four decades. His previous practice, Moore/Andersson Architects, which he founded with Charles W. Moore in 1984 in Austin, was recognized with the prestigious Texas Society of Architects’ Firm of the Year award in 1996. Andersson is joined in his practice by design collaborator and Managing Partner F. Christian Wise. He holds almost unparalleled technical knowledge of design and construction and ensures that the design concepts of each home are integrated through the entirety of the process. Before co-founding Andersson-Wise Architects, he worked with Andersson and Moore from 1986–1991, becoming a Senior Associate in Moore/Andersson Architects from 1995–2001.
8) Oglesby | Greene Architects
1925 San Jacinto Street, Suite 300, Dallas, TX 75201
Where they work: Texas
Oglesby Greene Architects has a rich Texas history and has earned the respect of clients and peers across the country for their daring, environmentally responsible designs and commitment to the profession. Over the last 3 decades, the firm has maintained their timeless design excellence by embracing the leading edge of architectural theory and practice and aggressively pursuing new technologies. Not surprisingly, Oglesby Greene Architects has earned many honors, including the 2006 Firm Award, the highest award bestowed upon a firm by the Texas Society of Architects. They were also named ‘Firm of the Year’ by AIA Dallas in 2010 and have been included on D Magazine’s list of the 10 best architects in Dallas. The firm and its principals have earned several AIA/Dallas Design Awards, City of Dallas Urban Design Award, Preservation Dallas Achievement Award, and the ‘Chautauqua’ Award for Historic Preservation.
“Architecturally we are ‘classic modernists’ and have made a strategic decision to avoid engaging in recapitulations of traditional architectural forms and technologies. As is demonstrated by the breadth and diversity of our portfolio, we have sought out commissions that are engaging, complex, and are constructed in a way that is focused on the buildings’ future performance.” – Oglesby | Greene Architects
The team at Oglesby Greene Architects is highly experienced and consciously kept small to foster a collaborative environment and immersive design process. Prior to founding his own firm in 1989, Principal Graham Greene worked on major modernist commissions throughout the world, most notably when he worked in Chicago with Lohan Associates, formerly the Office of Mies van der Rohe. His career has garnered him dozens of awards, including an AIA/Dallas Honor Award for Outstanding Achievement and UTA School of Urban & Public Affairs – Urban Entrepreneur Award. Joe McCall has also been a principal since 1989. With 23 AIA award-winning buildings to his credit, McCall has been elected to the AIA’s College of Fellows. He served as president of the Dallas Architectural Foundation, regularly participates as a guest juror for design award programs, and currently chairs the AIA Dallas Fellowship Committee. His design, drawings, writing, and process were previously featured in the traveling exhibition, “Five Dallas Modernists.”
7) Dick Clark + Associates
207 West 4th St. Austin, TX 78701
Where they work: Texas
With 72 awards across more than 35 years, Dick Clark + Associates is a prominent feature of Austin architecture and interior design. Founded in Austin in 1979 by Dick Clark III, the practice has been influenced over the years by the creative environment and technology boom that has driven Austin to be a first-class city. Clark, a Fellow of the AIA, was often referred to in Austin as the ‘Godfather of contemporary architecture’ and helped build a vibrant architecture community in the city. Under his leadership, the Austin Chapter of the AIA awarded his practice with its highest honor in 2009, the AIA Austin Firm Achievement Award.
Today, the team of 22 is run by Principal Mark Vornberg. It is no surprise that Dick Clark + Associates has been named by Architectoid as one of the top 10 architecture firms in Texas, included in the prestigious Luxe Gold List, and invited to participate in AIA Austin Home Tours. Their work has garnered numerous awards from the Austin Business Journal, AIA Austin, and the Professional Builder Design Awards competition, among others.
“We take our work seriously, but we balance high-quality, professional work with a high-energy, laid-back office environment where ideas flow and collaboration is frequent.” – Dick Clark + Associates
While Dick Clark + Associates’ work covers a wide range of project types, their custom single-family homes truly stand out. The tight-knit team believes that great design can create a sense of place and enhance lives and pride themselves on creating inspiration places that capture the unique quality and lifestyle found in Austin. And Dick Clark + Associates is deeply committed to environmentally conscious design and encourages their clients to employ green building strategies. Their work and involvement in the community has helped them shape the spirit and image of the city, central Texas, and beyond.
6) Matt Fajkus Architecture
900 East 6th Street, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78702
Where they work: Mainly Texas
Matt Fajkus Architecture is an award-winning Austin-based architecture practice that is young, energetic, and committed to pushing the boundaries of design. With accomplishments on a variety of project types and sizes, their work has caught the attention of many leading national publications, including Architectural Record, Deezen, Dwell, Eater, and Curbed, and National Public Radio, and The Wall Street Journal.
Founder and Principal Architect Matt Fajkus is also a Tenured Associate Professor at UT Austin School of Architecture and Director of the Graduate Program in Sustainable Design. In addition to Fajkus, the office is led by David Birt as the Principal of Design and Delivery, and Sarah Johnson as the Principal of Design and Operations. Fajkus greatly believes in the power of the team’s collaborative efforts, and that they are better than the sum of their parts. MF Architecture Design Architects include Anna Katsios Deere, Kevin Olsen, and Ian M. Ellis; Design Associates such as Sarah Wassel, Andres Moguel, Michael Deere, Alberto Rodriquez, and Ingrid Gonzalez Featherston; and an administrative staff of Yidan DuPre, Atarah Price, and Julie Ligi. The team aims for clear and simple solutions to complex problems by blending expertise as well as experimentation. This results in exceptional, sustainable buildings driven by the client, the site, and each project’s unique functional requirements, rather than by a preconceived aesthetic.
Photo courtesy of Charles Davis Smith, Photographer
“We are inspired by the unique conditions that come with each project – including the site, the client’s individual functional requirements, and the context. The overarching inspiration for us is nature, as we apply natural principles to create sustainable and long-lasting architecture, in addition to creating structures the complement their natural setting.” – Matt Fajkus
Austin-native Matt Fajkus trained under some of the world’s best architects before launching the practice in 2010 and subsequently building the team. While earning his Master in Architecture from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, he completed his thesis work with Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rafael Moneo. He trained with Foster + Partners in London for several years and worked on numerous small-scale award-winning projects while with Max Levy Architects in Dallas, Brinkley Sargent Architects, and Julie Snow Architects in Minneapolis. In 2012, Fajkus was awarded two AIA National Emerging Professional Awards. He was named the winner of the Engineering, Architecture and Design category at the 17th Austin Under 40 Awards in 2015, and more recently, was the winner of AIA Austin’s Emerging Professional Achievement Honor Award in 2017.
5) JAUREGUI Architecture Interiors Construction
(Houston) | 3660 Stoneridge Road, Bldg. A-102, Austin, Texas 78746 // 25317 IH-45 North, The Woodlands, Texas 77380
Where they work: Texas
JAUREGUI Architecture — the National Association of Home Builders’ 2016 Custom Builder of the Year — is one of the most respected and sought-after custom home architects in Texas. With offices in Austin and Houston, the design/build company offers comprehensive service to their clients, from beginning to finish, including architecture, building, and interior design. With 30 years of luxury home expertise, Although they can act as a general contractor to clients, they can also do just the architectural services and work with a builder of a client’s choosing. JAUREGUI is a wealth of vision, talent, and knowledge. The company has won numerous Best in American Living Awards and dozens of awards from the Texas Association of Builders. Their homes are elegant, practical, and extraordinarily well crafted.
JAUREGUI Architecture is run by President Luis Jauregui. He is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Environmental Design and a Masters of Architecture. A registered Architect and registered Interior Designer, Jauregui was elevated to the rank of Fellow within the AIA in 2017. He is active within the AIA and was a founding and long-term member of the leadership committee of the national AIA’s Knowledge Community Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN), a founding member of Austin’s AIA CRAN committee, and a board member of the Austin Chapter of AIA. He served as president of the Home Builders Association of Austin and director with local, state, and national homebuilder’s associations. He co-founded Austin’s Custom Builder Council and was elected to NAHB’s Elite Builder 20, a nationally selected group of million-dollar homebuilders.
4) McKinney York Architects
1301 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
Where they work: Mainly Texas
McKinney York Architects was established in 1983 by Heather H. McKinney and Al York, both AIA Fellows. Their work has appeared on or been published by Wired, The Wall Street Journal, HGTV, The Globe and Mail, NPR, Architectural Record, Architecture, Southern Living, and Texas Architect. The firm is the winner of local, regional, and national awards and is a frequent AIA Homes Tour participant. They have been recognized with the Firm of the Year award from the Texas Society of Architects, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a practice by the organization, as well as the 2007 AIA Austin Firm Achievement Award.
“Inside the McKinney York studio, we share a belief in the transformational power of people united in a common purpose. Our goal is to create places that draw people together, serve, and inspire.” – McKinney York Architects
McKinney York Architects’ portfolio reveals the true range of their ability – rarely is a style, strategy, or solution from one project applied to the next. Rather, each custom home is approached with fresh eyes and an individualized understanding of the new client’s needs and personality. They seek to uncover a client’s wishes and reveal the unique qualities of their project and site. The company is especially known for their collaborative approach and enthusiastic design professionals. And they are committed to sustainability, with LEED professionals on staff, Austin Green Building Program certification experience, and is a City of Austin Platinum-Level Green Business Leader.
The guiding force behind the firm’s design perspective, Heather H. McKinney, served as President of AIA Austin in 1993 and President of the Texas Society of Architects in 2010. She has been elevated to the AIA College of Fellows. Her partner Al York, who earned his Bachelor of Architecture from Auburn University and his Masters of Architecture from Cornell University, drives creative thought in the office and is known for his “knack for disentangling the most inscrutable problems.” He is active in the AIA Austin, including serving as President from 2005 and Design Awards Chair from 2000-2001. He is also a member of the Texas Society of Architects.
3) Miró Rivera Architects
505 Powell Street, Austin, TX 78703
Where they work: Texas
Internationally-recognized Miró Rivera Architects (MRA) “has created a body of work that exemplifies design excellence, blurs art and architecture, and includes poetic and inspirational projects that enrich their landscapes.” MRA was founded in 2000 by international architects Juan Miró and Miguel Rivera. In addition to their residential projects, they work on commercial and institutional projects and offer urban design and interior design services. They have received dozens of prestigious awards, including the 2016 Architecture Firm of the Year Texas Society of Architects and numerous AIA National awards. Their work has been featured widely, including in LUXE Interiors + Design, Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, The New York Times, Texas Architect, Casas & Interiors, and Austin Home, among others.
“In our residential work, we aspire to create responsible architecture that responds to its context, addresses basic human needs, and is imbued with a sense of honesty and integrity.” – Miró Rivera Architects
Juan Miró was born in Barcelona and earned his professional degree at the Escuela de Arquitectura of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. With a Fulbright Scholarship, he completed a post-professional Master’s degree at Yale University, where he was awarded the William Edward Parsons Memorial Medal. Prior to forming Miró Rivera Architects, Miró worked in New York City at Gwathmey Siegel and Associates and in Spain on a wide range of projects. He is a Professor at the School of Architecture of the University of Texas at Austin. In 2011, Miró was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows.
Miguel Rivera was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He obtained his Bachelor’s from the University of Puerto Rico School of Architecture and his Master of Architecture from Columbia University. In 2005, Rivera was awarded the AIA National Young Architect Award and in 2014 he was elevated to the College of Fellows. He has lectured across the country and abroad and his work has been exhibited in Berlin, Venice Architectural Biennale, and at the Hostos Art Gallery in New York City. Before forming MRA, he was an associate at Mitchell/Giurgola Architects in New York City.
2) Alterstudio Architecture, LLP
1801 Lavaca Street #106, Austin, TX 78701
Where they work: Mainly Texas
Recognized widely for their compelling designs, Austin’s Alterstudio Architecture has won over 100 national and local design awards, including the Firm Achievement Award — the highest honor that AIA Austin can bestow on an architecture firm. Their work is regularly published regionally, nationally, and internationally, including in Architectural Record, Residential Architect, Dwell Magazine, Austin Monthly Home, Locale Magazine, Luxury Home Quarterly, Homestyle Magazine, Contemporary Home Design, and Western Interiors and Design. Alterstudio’s homes have been featured on AIA Austin Home Tours, and the firm has received more than one hundred design awards, including the 2017 American Architecture Award, 2017 American Architecture Prize, 2017 Residential Architecture Design Award, 2015 AIA Firm Achievement Award, 2013 national AIA Housing Award, and 2011 Residential Architecture Design Award. His work has also been widely published including the book, Alterstudio Architecture: 6 Houses, which was published in the fall of 2014 by Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
“We understand architecture to be a profound act of optimism, and that it becomes meaningful, gradually, in a specific time and place. The work is rooted in deep-seated virtues of architecture – generous space making, shrewd manipulation of day lighting, and meticulous attention to detail – and in all our work we strive to combine great design acumen with tremendous professional prowess.” – Kevin Alter
Alterstudio Architecture is run by Partners Kevin Alter, Tim Whitehill, and Ernesto Cragnolino, who was recently elevated to the prestigious AIA College of Fellows. The firm focuses on the “relationship between the material facts of architecture and the social occasions it shelters and invites.” Important to each project is generous space making, the careful manipulation of natural light, and an obsessive attention to detail. They are known for their ability to frame and orchestrate human experience through their home designs. Alterstudio is committed to enhancing and protecting the cultural and natural environments arounds their projects through their craftsmanship. As such, they are experts in green and sustainable design processes. Further, they create homes that act in harmony with its cultural context and natural surroundings.
1) Lake|Flato Architects
(Austin) | 311 Third Street, San Antonio, TX 78205 // 1711 E. Cesar Chavez, Suite C, Austin, TX 78702
Where they work: Nationwide
Lake|Flato Architects is widely recognized as not only one of the best architectural firms in Texas, but in all of the United States. Founded by Ted Flato and David Lake in 1984, the firm has been named to Architect Magazine’s Top 50, placing as high as 6th in 2015, and have been included on Architectural Digest’s prestigious AD100. In 2014, Lake|Flato was inducted into the Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame. Their work has garnered over 270 international, national, and local design awards — including the American Institute of Architects Firm of the Year Award in 2004 and ten Top Ten Green Project Awards from the AIA Committee on the Environment. The practice has received the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture and was recently named by Fast Company as one of the Ten Most Innovative Architecture Firms in the World. Their residential designs have been featured in many of the field’s most prominent publications and both founders have been recognized with the rank of Fellow by the AIA.
“They are not fashion followers — their buildings are not “dressed” to respond to the latest architectural fads and they are not particularly concerned with what the taste-makers are doing. This is why they are important architects.” – William Turnbull Jr., FAIA, Founder, Turnbull Griffin Haesloop Architects
Lake|Flato Architects has offices in San Antonio and Austin. In addition to its residential work, the company designs a range of projects in terms of type and complexity. They believe first and foremost that architecture should be rooted in its particular place and respond in a meaningful way to the natural or built environment. They are particularly known for creating homes that blend into their surroundings and blur the line between the indoors and out. They use local materials and work with the best local craftsman on all of their projects. Authentic, artful, and crafted — Lake|Flato are also leaders in such
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Custom Home Builders and Design-Build Firms in Texas
About Our Rankings
This list takes a range of ranking criteria into consideration, including but not limited to: work history, customer satisfaction, awards and recognition, geographic area of work, cost, building permits, and clientele. We spent over 40 hours researching local contractors before calculating the final ranking for this post. If there is additional information about your business that could affect these rankings, please fill out this form and we will take it into consideration
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If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.
