167: Glass Courtyard | Stealth House

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Scott Specht, Founding Partner at Specht Novak Architects in Austin, Texas to discuss the Stealth House - also in Austin. Scott previously joined us in 2023 to discuss the New American House.

Tucked along a gravel alley behind a row of traditional homes in downtown Austin, the Stealth House by Scott Specht of Specht Novak Architects is deliberately elusive. From the street, the 1,100-square-foot residence reveals almost nothing: a low, rust-colored steel facade, punctuated by the absence of outward-facing windows. Crossing the threshold reveals a radically different spatial experience. Sunlight pours through floor-to-ceiling glass that frames two verdant interior courtyards. Rather than opening outward toward the street, the house turns inward, creating a private landscape that mediates between architecture and nature.

Click here for the extended length interview on YouTube

Scott Specht, Founding Principal, Specht Novak Architects

Scott is the founding partner of Specht Novak with over 30 years of experience designing and managing institutional, commercial, and residential projects. Over the past 30 years, Specht Novak, led by founding partner Scott Specht and partner Jakeb Novak, has built a reputation as a forward thinking, award-winning, modern architecture firm with a strong philosophy regarding the importance of craftsmanship, detailing, and client service.

The firm's work has been featured in over 250 publications worldwide including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Architectural Digest, and Forbes.

Project Name and Location: Stealth House, Austin, Texas

At first glance, the Stealth House designed by homeowner and architect Scott Specht, Specht Novak, is nearly invisible. Located on a gravel alley behind a row of traditional homes in downtown Austin, this 1,100-square-foot residence reveals little - a low, rust-colored steel facade with no outside-facing windows, offering no clue to its interior world. But step inside, and the experience is nothing short of revelatory.

Sunlight streams through floor-to-ceiling glass, illuminating two lush interior courtyards - one centered around an olive tree, the other serving as an aviary with bamboo. "We wanted to completely rethink what makes a home feel open and inviting," says Scott Specht. "Most modern homes rely on glass to connect with the outside world, but what if you don't want to be on display? What if you want light, nature, and space without sacrificing privacy?"

The Stealth House breaks from the contemporary trend of open-plan, glass-walled homes by turning inward - drawing inspiration from the Roman domus, Moroccan riad, Chinese siheyuan, and Japanese machiya, where daily life revolves around interior courtyards. Located In a dense, walkable neighborhood where views often mean staring into someone else's home, this design offers a clear separation between public and private spaces. The house feels connected, but only on our own terms. Powered by a rooftop photovoltaic array with battery backup and featuring a low-power-use air-conditioning system and super-insulated envelope, the house is extremely energy-efficient. The Cor-Ten rusting steel exterior is maintenance-free, and the landscape, largely of gravel and cactus requires little attention. Everything about the Stealth House is built to be easy. "There's no waste, no unnecessary spaces - just the essentials, done really well."

While the Stealth House is highly personal, its ideas could have larger implications for urban housing. Its compact footprint, acoustical and visual separation, and energy independence make it a model for accessory dwelling units, infill housing, and even "unbuildable" sites near highways and industrial zones.

"It's a prototype," Specht says. "It shows how you can live well in a small space, even in a dense area, without sacrificing privacy or sustainability." More than anything, though, the house is an answer to the evolving way we live now - in an environment of increasing social unease where the comfort of security, peace, and control over one's environment are more valuable than an unobstructed view of the street."

Stealth House has garnered several prestigious design awards in 2025 already: AIA National, Texas Society of Architects, AIA Austin Design Award of Excellence, and several more.

Project Team List:

Structural Engineer: Steinman Luevano
General Contractor: Austin Smock, Smock Design

Unique Products:

Insulation: American Builders
Tile: Bisazza
Flooring: Legno Bastone
Roofing: Western States Metal Roofing
Manchaca Metals
Stroehman Millwork
Millwork: Decospan

Photos/Drawings/Supplemental Info:

Photo Credit: Leonid Furmansky
Podcast Production: Gabl Media Group, Inc.