- Stealth House designed by Specht Novak architects reimaginines compact living in urban lots
- Specht Novak, redefines sustainable urban living through compact, resilient design that's energy efficient and ecologically innovative.
- Project: Stealth House
- Location: Austin, Texas,
- United States
- Architects:
- Specht Novak
- Typology:
- Private Residence
- Gross Area: 1300f²
- Year: 2025
- Images by Leonid Furmanski
Designed by Specht Novak Architects, the Stealth House began as an experimental concept, part of the firm’s ongoing exploration of innovative, sustainable approaches to urban living. “We’ve spent years creating unbuilt designs that look at self-sufficiency, climate adaptation, and the potential of neglected city spaces,” says founding principal Scott Specht. These conceptual works, often featured in architectural media, aimed to spark dialogue around sustainability and urban reuse. Stealth House started in that same spirit, as a theoretical study on “scraplands”: odd, often-forgotten urban parcels near highways or industrial zones that most developers overlook.
The early designs were inspired by ancient Roman houses, with inward-facing layouts and no street-facing windows, organized around internal courtyards. These private, secure typologies provided a historical foundation, but Specht updated them to meet modern needs for comfort, light, and livability. The project evolved through multiple iterations, from spacious three-bedroom courtyard homes to compact one-bedroom retreats, all with a focus on reimagining small, leftover urban lots as places for sustainable, high-quality housing. Renderings placed the designs in unusual contexts, from industrial parks to abandoned rural streets, challenging ideas about where and how people can live well.
When Scott Specht began looking for a home in Austin, he came across a small, underutilized lot zoned for an ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit). The site is just 70 by 50 feet, tucked behind a commercial strip, walkable, centrally located, and affordable. He saw it as the perfect opportunity to build the Stealth House as a real, livable prototype. “I’d thought about building something more conventional,” he says, “but this lot felt like the right place to bring our ‘paper project’ into the real world.”
Austin’s ADU regulations capped the build at 1,100 square feet, so the challenge was to create a compact but comfortable home that fit naturally into the neighborhood while redefining what urban housing can be. What was once a dilapidated garage became a serene, efficient retreat that’s private, practical, and deeply connected to its site.
From the outside, the home turns traditional suburban cues on their head: instead of fences and street-facing windows, it features a seamless façade of corrugated Cor-Ten steel. This material provides both visual and acoustic privacy, while removing the need for additional elements like blinds or boundary walls. The clean, uninterrupted frontage respects the pedestrian alley it faces, creating a clear distinction between public and private space.
Inside, the layout is centered on a series of internal courtyards that bring natural light and greenery into every room. Floor-to-ceiling glazing opens the interiors to these tranquil spaces, offering openness without compromising privacy. At the heart of the home, a central courtyard anchored by an olive tree provides shade, reduces heat gain, and establishes a quiet focal point.
Frameless insulated glass, ordered in standard sizes, helped keep costs down without sacrificing energy performance. The Cor-Ten steel cladding eliminates the need for chemical treatments or ongoing maintenance, while offering a durable, low-impact exterior that will weather gracefully over time. Passive strategies like the tight building envelope, reflective roofing, and internal shading help reduce cooling loads. Active systems include closed-cell spray foam insulation and pre-installed infrastructure for solar panels and battery storage, enabling a potential off-grid future.
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