Perched six feet above the sidewalk on a sloped lot in Lakewood Hills, Dallas, Casa Loma is a home built around an act of preservation. At its center is a courtyard conceived entirely to protect an existing tree — its canopy casting shifting light and shadow through the day, connecting the interior life of the house to the landscape that preceded it.

The design reads from the street as a composition of stacked volumes: dark brick with deliberately shifting hues, cementitious panel, and warm wood siding. Each material was chosen for its dialogue with the neighborhood's earthy tones while asserting a distinctly contemporary character. Inside, the brick continues uninterrupted from exterior to interior — a cohesion that dissolves the boundary between the two and gives the house a sense of singular, sustained intention.

The double-height living room expands the perceived scale of the home dramatically. A tucked-away upper nook creates an intimate counterpoint. Thoughtful glazing and expansive openings frame views of the courtyard at every turn, ensuring the house is bright without sacrificing privacy, and generous without sacrificing enclosure.

Elevated yet connected to its street, Casa Loma is architecture in quiet dialogue with place — a modern urban oasis that draws its character not from what was imposed on the site, but from what was already there.