Dripping Springs, where this ranch house is located, sounds like a fictional town plucked from a storybook. Yet, located just on the cusp of Austin, Texas, it is the address of the new home designed by architecture studio OWIU. By working closely with the client, health and wellness influencer Remi Ishizuka, Pontious Ranch House is a result of combining elements from her very specific identity; an architectural manifestation rooted in Californian, Chinese and Japanese culture.
Pontious Ranch House designed by OWIU
The studio Only Way Is Up (OWIU) carefully redesigned a traditional ranch house infusing it with Asian minimalism - or rather its entirely unique iteration that is personal to Ishizuka. Inspiration was drawn from the food she ate, the art she was exposed to, and adapted family traditions which allowed for her, as OWIU described, ‘to understand balance in hybridity.’
OWIU founders, Joel Wong and Amanda Gunawan, shared that the most challenging aspect was striking a balance between breathing new life into the rustic 'barn style' home and preserving its original cultural integrity and contextual connection to the surrounding environment. They say: 'We wanted to modernize the space while respecting the historical essence and significance of the home, ensuring that the transformation enhanced its character without compromising its roots or the local heritage it represents.’
A Texan landscape coupled with Japanese minimalism and a Californian laissez-faire attitude may be an unconventional blend, yet the LA-based architecture studio took on the challenge to remodel the traditional ranch and manifest its creative vision. The home was originally built in 2018, and OWIU worked closely with the former owner Michael Contello to preserve the original foundations.
'We specialize in the intersection of preservation and restoration, embracing the belief that homes should evolve while honouring their past. Our approach centers on safeguarding the historical essence of a space, while infusing it with new life, ensuring that the old and the new coexist in harmony. This philosophy is at the core of every restoration project we undertake,’ say the OWIU founders.
The soul of the inspiration that is threaded throughout the home is its nod to the building’s surrounding environment. Golden Texan fields and crisp blue skies offer a meditative colour palette, with a cream and white gradient tying it all together. This creates a fluid interaction between the interior and exterior of the home.
These breezy blurred lines between indoor and outdoor living are continued throughout the ranch with touches of natural materials. This can be seen in the kitchen which was designed to be not only a functional cooking space but also a workspace for the client’s recipe developments. The island is crafted from natural rock and marble. It extends to a wood dining table, moulded with polished round edges.
This tonality and soft silhouette flow into the living room which is surrounded by wood-framed windows, creating a snapshot of the Texan countryside, which is described as ‘perfectly capturing the balance of organic textures and modern design.
-
‘Dr Tetris’ on the biggest ever iteration of the puzzle in LondonTetris comes to 360-degree, 23,000 sq ft, 16k LED screens in London; Craig McLean speaks to Henk Rogers, the man who’s kept the game alive
-
Hot news: Claridge’s Bakery is set to open this summerClaridge’s, London’s grand dame of hotels, announces the opening of its very own bakery, led by British baker Richard Hart
-
New Superhouse show captures the rebellious spirit of Dan Friedman’s Manhattan apartmentIn the late 1970s, graphic designer and artist Dan Friedman transformed his apartment into a Day-Glo laboratory of ideas. Now, a new exhibition at Superhouse in New York revisits his vibrant, rebellious world
-
On the shores of Discovery Bay, this wooden house is the ultimate waterside retreatDekleva Gregorič’s Discovery Bay House is a structured yet organic shelter that blends perfectly into the surrounding Pacific Northwest landscape
-
The 10 emerging American Midwest architects you need to knowWe profile 10 emerging American Midwest architects shaking up the world of architecture - in their territory, and beyond
-
A light-filled New York loft renovation magics up extra space in a deceptively sized homeThis New York loft renovation by local practice BOND is now a warm and welcoming apartment that feels more spacious than it actually is
-
Inside Bell Labs, the modernist vision behind Severance's minimalist settingWe explore the history of Bell Labs - now known as Bell Works - the modernist Eero Saarinen-designed facility in New Jersey, which inspired the dystopian minimalist setting of 'Severance'
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ new project will be Miami’s priciest condoConstruction has commenced at The Delmore, an oceanfront condominium from the firm founded by the late Zaha Hadid, ZHA
-
A West Austin house invites you to commune with natureWestview Residence by Alterstudio, a West Austin house among trees, makes the most of large windows and open-air decks in a verdant setting
-
Apple’s new Miami store employs the principles of biophilic designApple’s first mass-timber store connects shoppers to nature while echoing the Art Deco architecture of Miami
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the listEvery two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted
