Stealth House by Specht Novak
Stealth House lands in Austin, TX, United States as a compact house by Specht Novak that hides its life within. The 2024 ADU turns its back to the street with corrugated Cor-Ten cladding, then opens to courtyards and full-height glazing that soak interiors in daylight. Privacy drives the parti, yet the plan feels effortless and bright.
A rust-hued volume meets the street, quiet and sealed. Behind the corrugated Cor-Ten skin, a sequence of planted courts pulls sun across pale floors and gathers rooms around calm greenery.
This is a compact house in Austin by Specht Novak, planned as an ADU for densifying neighborhoods. The layout rejects street-facing windows and instead builds life around internal courts and clerestory light. Privacy sets the rules of movement and view; daylight and planting soften every edge.
Arrive And Pivot
From the gravel forecourt and cactus beds, the entry reads as a precise cut through the Cor-Ten shell. A custom tile panel marks the threshold, a subtle shimmer against the weathered ribs. Step inside and the house pivots inward: glass walls frame an olive tree court, and the city drops away.
Rooms Around Courts
Living, dining, and kitchen settle along the garden, trading street views for close-up foliage and animated light. Slender black frames hold full-height glass, tightening the sightlines and turning the olive canopy into daily company. Every room aims toward a planted void, so circulation reads as a loop around greenery rather than a corridor.
Cook, Sit, Return
In the kitchen, walnut millwork wraps a white island while a deep-green tile backsplash grounds the working wall. A built-in nook tucks under the same timber envelope, making a compact dining perch with an easy slide back to the living room. The plan edits out dead ends—cooking, eating, and lounging rotate around the courtyard like stations along a single path.
Quiet Bedroom Sequence
The bedroom borrows light from another garden, its woven wall finish and pale floor lending a soft, matte calm. Built-in shelves and a small desk keep the room efficient, while a narrow glazed slot draws the eye to leaves and sky. Doors align to maintain a straight view to planting, reinforcing the internal address of the house.
Bath To Aviary
Mosaic tile wraps the bath, dark and tactile against the filtered daylight. Beyond, a bamboo-filled aviary extends the line of the shower, so water, stone, and greenery share one axis. The effect is practical and serene: ventilation, privacy, and a small ritual of stepping toward plants each morning.
Low planting, warm metals, and fine-grain carpentry carry through every view. As evening settles, the courts glow and the Cor-Ten shell returns to quiet—street side reserved, inside alive with measured light.
Photography by Leonid Furmansky
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