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If you’ve ever dreamed of living in an M.C. Escher artwork, the new Vista House in Austin, Texas, could serve up some inspiration. At the core of the modern, white-washed home is a zigzagging three-story staircase that, while not all that perplexing, is for sure a captivating sight and conversation starter.
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Miró Rivera Architects, the firm behind this sustainable modern farmhouse, designed the three-bedroom house around the staircase, which took eight months to fabricate from steel and white oak before being dropped into the middle of a house via a hole in the roof. It’s an neat trick considering the house is buried into a hillside and appears to be a single story from certain angles.
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Downstairs, two bedrooms and a media room are partially built into the hillside, while the top floor is home to an office and sitting room. The home’s main level includes a kitchen and dining space that leads down to a sunken living room. The master suite is at the end of a hallway and is separated from the rest of the public spaces by an open-air courtyard.
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