If home is where the heart is, then the AIA Austin Homes Tour definitely holds the city’s affections. And this year, after the pandemic forced an entirely virtual event for the first time in 2020, the tour is building on that success and welcoming Austinites home with a hybrid format.
Taking place Friday, October 15 through Monday, October 18, the Austin chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ 35th annual Homes Tour will be presented in person as well as virtually, with in-person touring capacity limited to provide a new level of safety in the time of COVID.
Tickets are currently available online and range from $25 for the virtual experience to $85 for the VIP experience.
Featured architecture firms on the tour include Brian Dillard Architecture, Clark Richardson Architects, Furman + Keil Architects, Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects, Lake Flato Architects, LaRue Architecture, Matt Fajkus Architecture, North Arrow Studio, and Webber + Studio Architects.
Architecture buffs with in-person tour tickets will also have access to the virtual tour, which will feature all nine AIA Austin Homes Tour homes. And all ticket holders will be able to check out the range of programming offered this year, which includes 3D virtual walkthroughs, videos, and live sessions with architects and design collaborators.
VIP ticket holders have access to virtual and in-person homes, in addition to scoring a swag bag and access to a VIP party at one of the homes.
And AIA promises several other new interactive elements, including a hands-on paper houses project and scavenger hunt, as well as yoga, mixology, wine tastings, and a concert.
“Last year expanded the possibilities of our Homes Tour,” says Ingrid Spencer, executive director of AIA Austin. “We are so excited to reintroduce in-person touring, as architecture is best experienced hands-on, but we’re also thrilled to be able to offer a virtual option to a global audience, and to continue to build out what the virtual experience looks like for those attendees.”
According to AIA, highlights of this year’s tour include North Arrow Studio’s home that blends into a hillside; homes from Clark Richardson Architects and Matt Fajkus Architecture that offer a new perspective on private and public spaces; historical renovations from LaRue Architects, Furman + Keil Architects, and Brian Dillard Architecture; newly built homes from Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects and Lake Flato Architects; and a home from Webber + Studio Architects that aims to seamlessly blend sustainability and style.
In-person home tours will take place Saturday, October 16 from 10 am-6 pm at:
- The Ramsey residence. Clark Richardson Architects. Rosedale neighborhood.
- The Inverse house. Matt Fajkus Architecture. Davenport Ranch neighborhood.
- The Clarksville residence. LaRue Architecture. Clarksville neighborhood.
The in-person touring experience will also include a refreshments stop at the Urbanspace Interiors showroom, 301 West Ave., on Saturday, October 16 between 10 am and 5 pm.
Ticket holders will be able to access virtual sessions and Q&As with the architects of each home through the online Homes Tour platform. Live architect sessions include:
Friday, October 15
- 10 am: Lake Flato Architects, Rollingwood residence.
- 11:30 am: North Arrow Studio, Lean on Me house.
- 1 pm: Brian Dillard Architecture, Exposition residence.
- 2:30 pm: Hugh Jefferson Randolph Architects, River Ranch.
- 4 pm: Webber + Studio, Architects, Clearview residence.
Sunday, October 17
- 11:30 am: Matt Fajkus Architecture, Inverse House.
- 1 pm: Clark Richardson Architects, Ramsey residence.
- 2:30 pm: LaRue Architecture, Clarksville residence.
- 4 pm: Furman + Keil Architects, Oak Creek Court.
Tour takers can turn the virtual experience into an interactive one by purchasing wine kits from Glou Glou Girls (with delivery fees waived) to join in virtual wine tasting segments for Lake Flato’s Rollingwood Residence and North Arrow’s Lean on Me.
For more info about the 35th annual AIA Austin Homes Tour, visit the event website, and follow AIA Austin on Facebook or Instagram @aiaaustin.
Clarksville residence, LaRue Architecture.
