When global e-commerce director Nils Timmermann decided to make Texas his permanent home after six years away from his native Germany, he set his sights on the rapidly developing East Austin. “To me, Austin is the best kept secret in America, and this neighborhood is a unique spot since it's close to downtown but still feels suburban,” explains Nils. After scoping out several homes for sale in the area, he came across an empty lot under development that caught his eye.

A group of people had purchased one large lot and subdivided it to build four small homes with a single architect, but when one of the clients dropped out midway through design, the project stalled.

“My friend is a real estate agent, and he warned me against taking this on,” says Nils. “It was a new-build project, and the clients all had to agree on a shared architectural language.” However, when Nils met the project’s architect, Murray Legge, he was ready to take the leap: “I liked the basic framework [Murray] had designed, and I felt like I could still make it my home.”

The 1,700-square-foot Canterbury House is organized around an inner courtyard, establishing a protected outdoor room between the main living areas and an adjacent, self-contained guest suite. The primary bedroom sits above the guest suite, connected via a glass-fronted bridge that looks down over the courtyard.

“It’s an unusual design,” says Legge. “When we first proposed it to the group, we thought, ‘They’ll never go for it.’ It’s a house with a giant hole in the middle. But they loved it.”

Nils was especially attracted to the courtyard design’s flexibility. “The house can work for a family with kids or a single person with a roommate,” he says. “Since my work team is remote, I could also bring them here to work occasionally.” The space has already been adapted to meet a major life change, as Nils’s long-distance girlfriend is moving in this summer.

The U-shaped plan also brings much-needed privacy to the home, which sits close to its neighbors on the shared lot. At the same time, the window placement and the courtyard help with cross-ventilation and daylighting for interior spaces. “You can see a lot, but not necessarily be seen,” says Nils. “It’s a perfect balance between privacy and community.”

Canterbury House’s simple box shape meant smaller roof and foundation footprints, which helped keep construction costs down. The home’s single, extruded volume also creates an efficient envelope, which is economical energy-wise. “It’s a rational box, but we punched a hole in it to create a reflective space containing a rich material palette,” says Legge. “The courtyard breaks all the rules, but you’ve got to have one moment of fun.”

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The home’s two bedrooms face the courtyard, as does the guest suite. The steel trellis overhead creates an ever-changing pattern of shadows in the warm, Douglas fir–clad courtyard while light bounces off windows into the adjacent rooms. “The courtyard becomes an experiential light chamber,” says Legge.

Nils and Legge even took to affectionately referring to the home as a “reverse coconut.” The moniker captures Legge’s interest in balancing the rational and economical with moments of playful frivolity. As Legge explains, “It’s an icy white shell that we’ve cracked open to reveal something special inside.”

Just as it creates a new home base for Nils, the house also offers a template for future development in Austin and beyond. By subdividing larger lots and working collaboratively with a single architect, the group was able to create a set of custom homes that stayed within budget. “As architects, we should be able to take well-designed, simple things and repeat them many times,” says Legge. “It’s about economy—creating something efficient yet flexible that’s accessible to more people.”

More by Murray Legge:

Budget Breakdown: This Hip Multifamily Pad in Austin Cost Under $515K

Architect Murray Legge Gives Gifts That Elevate the Everyday

Project Credits:

Architecture: Murray Legge Architecture / @murray_legge

General Contractor: Curate Custom Homes / @curatecustomhomes

Structural Engineer: Duffy Engineering

Civile Engineer: LDC Engineering

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A Courtyard House in Austin Resembles a “Reverse Coconut”