Arguably one of the most architecturally significant homes in Austin, the Ramp House has quietly hit the market. A well-known fixture in the Bouldin neighborhood, the home was designed and built by award-winning local firm MJ Neal Architects, which specializes in high-end contemporary residential and commercial design, in 2002. It was listed briefly last year before going into hiatus as a quite high-end rental. Now it’s back, looking as innovative and mod as ever.
In addition to its eponymous ramp—a sculptural but functional element handcrafted from structural steel and Brazilian hardwood that defines the space and informs the experience of being there—the home has a number of modernist-influenced features, including its red-and-orange window grid and other enormous windows, an open floor plan, and a spiral staircase.
Among the home’s bespoke features are walls of glass that fold into skylights and full-height sliding doors open to exterior courtyards. It also features polished concrete floors, exotic hardwoods, black quartz and limestone countertops, handmade tile, stainless appliances, and European fixtures throughout.
The Ramp House measures 2,245 square feet and has two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, two living rooms, two dining areas, and a rooftop deck.
The home’s central ramp provides vertical circulation and spatial delineation as well as a massive shelf system for displaying books and other objects.
Like a beach house (or an old-fashioned split-level), Ramp House has an inverted floor plan, with bedrooms and bathrooms on the bottom floor, living areas, and a rooftop deck.
• 704 West Live Oak Street [The Value of Architecture]