An outlier in a city associated with vast stretches of flat, sun-drenched plains, the north Dallas neighborhood of Old Preston Hollow, established more than 80 years ago, is a coveted oasis of gently rolling woodlands crisscrossed by creeks and bramble. This, says homeowner Brandie Gehan, an Austin transplant, is what attracted her to the 1½-acre parcel of land here, on which she and her husband would build a new house for their family of four.

The 10,000-square-foot, single-story residence, completed last spring, was designed by New York–and Austin–based Specht Architects to take full advantage of the wedge-shaped site, situated within the curve of a looping road and adjacent to a secluded sculpture park owned by the Nasher family. What’s amazing about the location, says firm principal Scott Specht, is, “it’s right in the middle of the city, yet you really can’t perceive any other houses.”