Project posted by Mike Berardi

The Tisdale Residence, 1950

Year
1950
Style
Midcentury
From the street, The Tisdale Residence at 4205 Caswell Avenue in Austin, Texas, presents a modest front facade.
From the street, The Tisdale Residence at 4205 Caswell Avenue in Austin, Texas, presents a modest front facade.
The main living room features a site-gathered stone fireplace, which continues past floor-to-ceiling windows to form an exterior privacy wall.
The main living room features a site-gathered stone fireplace, which continues past floor-to-ceiling windows to form an exterior privacy wall.
The post-and-beam construction is accentuated by tongue-and-groove wood ceilings and several sets of sliding glass doors.
The post-and-beam construction is accentuated by tongue-and-groove wood ceilings and several sets of sliding glass doors.
A piano sits in another corner of the living room.
A piano sits in another corner of the living room.
A well-lit dining area is located steps away from the kitchen.
A well-lit dining area is located steps away from the kitchen.
While the kitchen is ripe for remodel, it features plenty of cabinetry and an open corner.
While the kitchen is ripe for remodel, it features plenty of cabinetry and an open corner.
A peek at one of the four bedrooms in the home.
A peek at one of the four bedrooms in the home.
In total, the residence has three and a half bathrooms.
In total, the residence has three and a half bathrooms.
The home office offers a sunny atrium-like area with stairs leading up to additional workspace.
The home office offers a sunny atrium-like area with stairs leading up to additional workspace.
In the treehouse-like wing, wood paneling and windows wrap around the space. Sliding glass doors lead to a covered balcony with stairs leading down to the backyard.
In the treehouse-like wing, wood paneling and windows wrap around the space. Sliding glass doors lead to a covered balcony with stairs leading down to the backyard.
A large covered terrace sits underneath the room, providing an entertaining area in addition to a patio off of the living room. The second lot connects with the backyard for a total of nearly 2/3 of an acre.
A large covered terrace sits underneath the room, providing an entertaining area in addition to a patio off of the living room. The second lot connects with the backyard for a total of nearly 2/3 of an acre.

4 more photos

Details

Square Feet
2332
Bedrooms
4
Full Baths
3

Credits

Posted by
Architect
George L. Walling
Photographer

From Mike Berardi

On a quiet tree-lined street in Hyde Park, close to UT, minutes from downtown, and a block and a half from the newly-renovated Commodore Perry Estate, this historic property is extraordinary for a variety of reasons. With expressed post-and-beam construction, floor-to-ceiling glass, site-gathered masonry walls and fireplace, tongue-and-groove ceilings, horizontal wood paneling, and board-and-batten siding, this vintage mid-century modern home is preserved in time. With these bona fides, it should be possible to register the home as a Historic Landmark for property tax savings. Second, this home sits on a huge lot with 2 separate parcels, almost 2/3 of an acre in Central Austin, presenting a handful of unique opportunities. Constructing an ADU, adding a pool, and completing new landscape and hardscape will complete a contemporary compound. Alternately, it may be possible to sell the back lot separately for a new single family home, to offset the cost of the overall purchase. Finally, it may be possible to combine, subdivide, and re-plat the two parcels into as many as four new lots, providing an exceptional development opportunity for four new single family homes and four ADUs, for a total of eight units.