Mercedes

Mercedes Avenue — Ray McDowell House
Dallas, Texas

It is rare to work on a home of this architectural significance, and even rarer to do so with clients who value its history.

The Ray McDowell House was designed between 1927 and 1931 by Dallas architect David Williams, a key figure in the development of Texas regionalism. Williams studied at Columbia University and worked under Ralph Adams Cram before establishing a practice grounded in climate, material honesty, and local building traditions. He was also a contemporary of O’Neil Ford, whose work further defined Texas vernacular architecture in the decades that followed. 

The McDowell House is widely regarded as Williams’ first fully realized attempt at what he called “the Texas style.” The home was conceived as a simple, additive form that could grow over time. Its architecture reflects a belief that houses should evolve in response to use, place, and changing needs.

We recently had the opportunity to tour the restored The Williams Residence, another David Williams work, with the Design Leadership Network. Seeing that project firsthand reinforced the clarity and restraint that define his approach.

That idea guides our work today.

Our approach is to continue the logic of the original design. Additions and interventions are developed as natural extensions of the existing structure. The goal is not to preserve the house as a fixed object, but to allow it to evolve in a way that remains true to its origins.

The result is a home that carries forward a century of architectural thinking while adapting to the lives of its current owners.

Please check back for more updates as this project develops!