Marfa Ranch / Lake Flato Architects

Architects: Lake Flato Architects
Area: 5,342 Conditioned ft², 7,700 Unconditioned ft²
Photographs: Casey Dunn
General Contractor: Pilgrim Building Company
Landscape Architect: Ten Eyck Landscape Architects
Rammed Earth: Enabler Austin
Mechanical Engineers: MJ Structures, Positive Energy
Building Envelope: Positive Energy
Millwork: Flitch
City: Marfa
Country: United States

Marfa Ranch, designed by Lake Flato Architects in Marfa, Texas, is a rammed-earth residential project inspired by early regional ranch architecture. The house is arranged around a central courtyard, with thick earthen walls that help regulate temperature, keeping the interior cool in summer and warm in winter. Comprised of eight structures connected by a covered walkway with recycled oil field pipe columns, the home balances openness and protection from harsh winds. The courtyard features a rainwater-filled fountain shaded by mesquite trees, while glass walls offer desert views. The design includes living spaces, bedrooms, a bar, a library, and a pool converted from an old water tank.

Lake Flato, an American architecture studio, designed Marfa Ranch, a rammed earth house set in the desert grasslands of Texas. Situated in Marfa, a small art and ranching community between the Chihuahuan Desert and the Davis Mountains, the design draws inspiration from the region’s early architecture, featuring rooms organized around a central courtyard.

Lake Flato Architects partner-in-charge Bob Harris explained that the design embraces a traditional regional model commonly seen on ranches in far West Texas, where low, casual homes partially enclose a central courtyard. He noted that these homes are typically built with stone, brick, or adobe, arranged in a U-shape around an inward-facing veranda. The courtyard opens to the east, providing protection from the persistent northwestern winds of the region.

The studio used three million pounds of earth to construct the rammed earth walls, chosen to emphasize a strong connection to the surrounding landscape. This material was utilized for both the structure and the finishes. Harris described rammed earth as “a simple material that reinforces the connections to the land and the landscape,” adding that “it is a labor of love to commit to the use of earth when building, and the craft of the construction is evident throughout.” He further noted that rammed earth serves as the unifying element, appearing the same inside and out, with the material and construction clearly expressed.

Along with the two-foot-thick rammed earth walls, which help regulate indoor temperatures, the home’s layout was specifically designed in response to the local climate. Harris explained that “there is a deliberate quality of spareness that matches the qualities of the land.” He emphasized that in the vast landscape, it was crucial for the house to maintain a low profile, blending with the terrain while also opening to distant views and providing protection from the area’s harsh wind and sun.

The ranch house consists of eight separate structures connected by a covered walkway supported by columns made from recycled oil field pipes. These rooms form a protective wall around the central courtyard, creating a layout that the studio describes as both enclosed and open. Harris noted, “The court connects people to a more introverted landscape while protecting them from the wind and sun.”

As a contrast, nearly all the surrounding rooms open to both the courtyard and the exterior landscape, positioned to capture cooling breezes and extend views to the distant horizon. The courtyard, shaded by local mesquite trees, features a central fountain that collects rainwater. The open-plan living area, featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a large black fireplace, provides expansive views of the surrounding desert. Sliding doors made from weathering steel lead from the living spaces to covered terraces, which are furnished for dining and relaxation.

Adjacent to the living area is a large black dining table, which connects to a smaller dining nook located to the side. Additional rooms extend from other sides of the courtyard, including four bedrooms, bathrooms, and a versatile space that functions as both a bar and a library.

At the end of a boardwalk extending from the main courtyard lies a pool, which the studio converted from an old water tank—the only pre-existing structure on the site.