Architecture Wednesday: Sand Dollar House

The Sand Dollar House, a cherished landmark in Lakeway near Austin Texas, was built in 1979 by John Covert Watson, who was studying with Frank Lloyd Wright during the construction of the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Originally designed as a second residence for artist Eugenia Hunt, the home exemplifies organic modern architecture, featuring steel and Gunite construction with elegant curved white walls throughout, and has captivated passersby for decades with its stunning location by the lake.

Each room offers breathtaking views of Lake Travis through large windows and sliding doors that lead to balconies and patios extending to the water's edge. A notable highlight of the home is its captivating spiral staircase with wooden treads, crowned by teardrop-shaped skylights reminiscent of a sand dollar.

The Great Room showcases a floating wood bench against a curved wall, complemented by a kiva-style fireplace, creating an inviting space for intimate gatherings. The distinctive round kitchen, adorned with a blend of blue tiles and wood cabinets, appears to float above a lower deck and, yes, my one quibble is that kitchen island which would hold perhaps two martini glasses and no more. All three bedrooms are situated on the lower level, each opening onto porches through glass doors, providing serene retreats with lake views.

Sand Dollar was designed for entertaining, to allow guests to savor panoramic vistas from within, then seamlessly transition to expansive porches and decks leading to the lakeshore and wide lawns, ensuring every gathering is as unforgettable as Sand Dollar.

Dwell

Architecture Wednesday: Hollander House, The Organic Wave House

Architect David Hollander designed this home, the Hollander House, between 1969 and 1971 using hand-formed ferro cement to mimic the contours of a wave. It’s lauded as a prime example of Australian organic architecture—it was even voted one of the country’s top five houses in 1973—with living spaces ‘cascading’ over three levels and curvilinear interior spaces.

Rooms inside the three-bedroom home have elliptical, white-plastered walls and furniture and cabinetry created specifically for the home. The main space is the dramatic double-height living room, set around a sunken conversation pit with a curvy banquette, a colossal fireplace with a concrete hearth, and an original 1971 Curtis Jeré wall installation.

Hollander installed ‘light folds’ and ‘sky domes’ to draw light into the deepest recesses of the home, and sliding glass doors further amplify light flow across the home, which sits within bushland, surrounded by gum trees a short walk from Newport Beach.

A previous owner added the decking to the outside space, and the property has been upgraded with a whole-house water filtration system, electric vehicle charger and an ozone purifier.

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