The AIA Houston Home Tour is back! The annual tour raises funds that support various AIA Houston initiatives throughout the year. Held this Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19, the self-guided tour features eight magnificent homes throughout the Houston area.
"The AIA Houston Home Tour is an incredible opportunity to showcase the diverse architectural talent within our city," says Shawn Gottschalk, AIA, principal at studioMET Architects and 2025 Home Tour event chair. "I'm really excited about this year's event because it features a remarkable range of homes: an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) tiny house, a sensitively-restored mid-century modern townhouse which served as a model home for the future, to an expansive campus-style home comprised of multiple structures and an array of homes in between. Each project is unique in its style, size, and design, offering something inspiring for every visitor."
Homes were selected based on design excellence, quality craftsmanship, innovative solutions, use of materials, and sustainability. A juried panel comprised of fellow architects, deans of architecture schools, and other experts choose from the hundreds of project submissions every year. To keep things honest, jury members are from out of town, but not too far out of town.
“We are not looking to put on an AIA home tour of only Texas vernacular architecture,” AIA executive director Rusty Bienvenue tells CultureMap. “We want a wide variety of things because this is a very diverse city, and I’m not sure folks from too far away understand what’s going on here.”
Project architects will be on-site both days of the tour to answer questions visitors may have about the homes, or the process of hiring and working with a local architect. One thing the tour hopes to do is dispel the notion that hiring an architect is something that costs a fortune, when in fact, it can be the more cost effective way to go.
“One of the things we are trying to show is that all people in the area are entitled to good design, no matter what their socioeconomic background is,” says Bienvenue. “Hiring an architect does not necessarily make the price go up when you’re building something. In many ways, it will make the price come down, because they’re able to negotiate with suppliers they use all the time and know what to spec or not. When you go into a builder home, those prices are set.”
This year’s event chair is no stranger to the AIA Houston tour. Gottschalk’s studioMET Architects has received an AIA residential design award, an AIA Firm of the Year award, and has had their projects selected for the AIA Houston Home Tour for 16 consecutive years, with two projects featured this year — Wink Residence, designed by Gottschalk himself, and River Bend, designed by Yoonchul You — and he looks forward to being able to share these projects with the greater Houston community.
“More than just an event for architects, the AIA Houston Home Tour celebrates the simple joy of great design,” Gottschalk tells CultureMap. “It’s casual, inspiring, and welcoming to anyone curious about how thoughtful architecture transforms everyday living.”
One home on the tour is quite the standout example of how good design can transform everyday living. Homes on the tour must have been built in the last five years, or have undergone a significant renovation or addition in the last five years. “Style in Steel” is a project with significant history, and the city is lucky that the home was able to be saved from the fate of so many other quirky Houston homes.
Built in 1968 as demonstration homes for the 1969 National Association for Home Builders (NAHB) show at the Houston Astrodome Astrohall, the "Style in Steel" townhouses were a collaborative effort sponsored by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), Houston Lighting & Power Company (HL&P), and General Electric (GE). Their purpose was to showcase the advantages of the use of steel in moderately-priced residential construction, utilizing steel not just in structural elements but also in furniture, equipment, and fittings. The townhouses were designed in the International Style, taking cues from Mies van der Rohe, by renowned architects Talbott Wilson and Hal Weatherford of Wilson, Morris, Crain, & Anderson, the same firm that co-designed the Houston Astrodome. Designated as protected landmarks in 2007 by the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, their fate after over half a century became a pressing question.
The townhouses received a Twenty-Five-Year Award from the AIA Houston Chapter in 1998, and the home was awarded a Preservation Houston Good Brick Award in 2023. It has been featured in Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, Professional Builder, Brides magazine, and more recently in Preservation Magazine (Winter 2025) and Texas Architect (Spring 2025).
Full-Tour tickets may be purchased in advance ($35) until Friday, October 17 at 11:30 pm. Single home tour tickets are available for $10 per home, but are not available for presale. Tickets may also be purchased on-site.
"It’s one thing to pass by and admire these stunning homes from the outside, but an entirely heightened experience to step inside and be captivated by the remarkable thought and talent that went into each design,” says Bienvenue. “We look forward to seeing you on the tour.”
Each architect participating in the tour offered CultureMap personal insights into their respective projects, whether that be something special to keep an eye out for, or the thing they love most about the house. Find these insider insights below. Each link includes sneak peek photos and the home’s address.
The Tour
River Bend
“What I love most is how the design unfolds across the site in a long, single-story plan. From each space, the river is experienced and revealed in a new and surprising way.” - Reynold Scott Magnuson
Wink Residence
“The Hammam is one of my favorite elements of the home because it brings a touch of Moroccan heritage, turning a simple bath into a moment of ritual and tradition. Sharing a commitment to fitness and longevity with the homeowner, it’s rewarding to see the modern home we designed come alive through daily wellness routines — morning laps in the pool, cold plunges, and sauna sessions.” - Shawn Wesley Gottschalk
Style in Steel
“The trellised entry forecourt at the ‘Style in Steel’ Townhouse is the most featured and photographed space of the townhouse. Our goal in restoring the original architect’s intent for the townhouse included the removal of the added roof and glass window coverings to reveal the intended open trellised and light-infused forecourt space. A subtlety we appreciate is the visual engagement from inside the townhouse looking out to the forecourt through the two-story window wall, bringing the volume and light from the forecourt into the house.” – Rodolfo R. Fabre
Gibbs House
“Ironically, my favorite part of the home is the view from the exterior, looking north from the pool along the east-facing side of the house. I love how the long stretch of landscaping leads into the rich ebony wood exterior, connecting naturally with the porch and flowing into the living space. This side of the home is filled with natural light. Large windows brighten the interior, the stairwell glows through its vertical glass panels, and skylights above the bedrooms bring in soft, overhead light. As a corner home, we wanted to create a strong connection to the side yard that faces both streets, making the most of its unique position.” – Brett Zamore
Backyard Bungalow
“The thing I like most about the Backyard Bungalow is how good I feel when I am in the space. The quality of light, the cozy backyard setting, the playful forms all give me the feeling of comfort and possibility.” – Bradly Hirdes
Hunterwood Residence
“I am especially interested with how the design balances openness with intimate, personal spaces, such as the cozy spot tucked between the kitchen and family room. It’s a home designed to evolve with the family, offering flexibility in how each space is used while always feeling grounded, warm, and connected to its natural surroundings.” – Dillon Kyle
Northwood Residence
“The design of this home came from a desire for peace, and it was scheduled for construction during an incredibly uncertain time. Built entirely through remote collaboration at the height of the pandemic, it became a reflection of a strong sense of trust and shared purpose. What makes it truly special for the owners is the sense of calm that fills each room. Carried by the light, the materials and simplicity come together to create a quiet, restorative space for a young family.” – Chase Stanley
Hunters Creek House
“The design is intentionally minimalist, but the craft runs deep. I personally built many of the details, so every reveal and surface carries the mark of handwork and precision that you don’t always see at first glance. What makes this house special to me is how much of it I built myself. It’s minimalist in form, but every inch reflects hours of handwork, detail, and a love of craft that doesn’t shout…it whispers.” — Kam Biazar.
Photo by Gisele Parra
Backyard Bungalow, designed by Ordinary Architecture Practice.
