Rainey House

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and here's how I'm gonna tell it to you. In 1957, an architect named B.D. Riley, who folks called Pat, sat down to design a home for a man worth designing one for.

Dr. J.R. Rainey was a noted pathologist, recognized for contributions to his field at the local level, the state level, and the national level.

A man like that deserved something more than four plain walls and a roof. And Pat Riley delivered. What Riley drew up was a mid-century modern home, built of concrete and steel, faced in stucco, stone, and glass, with turquoise metal trim running through it.

Now, turquoise. In Travis County. On a house made of concrete and glass.

That's not timid design, friends. That's a statement. But here's what makes this place more than just a pretty face.

Riley wasn't chasing the strict, formal lines of the international style. His approach was more organic, more alive, more interested in the land around it than in impressing some architecture professor overseas. You can see it in the exterior stone walls.

You can see it in the landscaping. And you can see it in those environmentally-conscious overhangs, designed to work with the Texas sun rather than just surrender to it. Step inside and the philosophy keeps going.

An open floor plan gave the interior room to breathe. Post and beam construction meant the walls didn't have to carry the load, so Riley could fill them with glass. Large walls of glass, opening up the interior, pulling the outdoors right in.

The boundary between inside and outside wasn't a wall anymore. It was an invitation. A home built for a man of science, designed by a man of vision, speaking a language that's still worth listening to.

What the marker says

This mid-century modern home was designed by architect B.D. "Pat" Riley in 1957 for noted pathologist Dr. J.R. Rainey, who was recognized for contributions to his field at local, state, and national levels. Built of concrete and steel, and faced in stucco, stone, and glass with turquoise metal trim, its mid-century modern aesthetic, more organic and less formal than international style, is seen in the exterior stone walls, landscaping, and environmentally-conscious overhangs. The open floor plan featured a breathable interior, while post and beam construction allowed for large walls of glass, opening up interior spaces and bringing in the outdoors. RECORDED TEXAS HISTORIC LANDMARK - 2016