DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

UNDER THE OAKS

At The Inn at Green Pastures, Clayton Korte extends one 
of Austin’s most storied hospitality settings with 
a new chapter shaped as much by the landscape as 
by the architecture.

KATHERINE GANNON
PHOTOGRAPHY: CASEY DUNN PHOTOGRAPHY

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“We aimed to craft a ‘modern gentleman’ counterpart to Mattie’s matriarchal warmth, thoughtfully situating the building in respectful deference to the property’s majestic heritage oaks.”
– Paul Clayton, AIA

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Green Pastures has been part of Austin’s story for more than a century. The property began with a modest farmhouse built in 1895 on a 50-acre estate, eventually opening to the public as an eatery and gathering place in 1946. Its heritage oaks, resident peacocks and quietly secluded grounds have since become inseparable from the character of the place.

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​Rather than compete with that history, Clayton Korte approached The Inn at Green Pastures as its continuation. The project forms part of a phased master plan that first transformed the original farmhouse into Mattie’s, a restaurant and event venue, before introducing the Inn as a more tailored counterpart to its warmth and familiarity. The design team describes the relationship as a meeting of Mattie’s “matriarchal warmth” with the refinement of a “modern gentleman.”

That restraint is particularly evident in the building’s relationship to the site. The three-story, L-shaped structure settles beneath the existing oak canopy, with parking placed below grade to reduce its presence at ground level. West-facing bays open toward a private pool courtyard, bar, lounge, fitness center, casual eatery and event spaces, while generous steel-and-wood overhangs provide shade from the intense Texas afternoon sun.

Inside, the landscape continues in a richer register. Deep forest greens and earthy browns are layered with contemporary floral wallcoverings, pinstripe upholstery, embroidered drapery, plush seating and custom white oak millwork. Henry’s, the Inn’s casual all-day restaurant and bar, adds a more playful note while remaining firmly within the property’s cultivated sense of place.

The result is less an exercise in nostalgia than one of continuity, allowing a familiar Austin landmark to evolve without losing the qualities that made it memorable in the first place.

www.claytonkorte.com

ARCHITECTURE + INTERIOR DESIGN: CLAYTON KORTE
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: WORD + CARR DESIGN GROUP
BRAND: OVERSTORY
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: JORDAN FOSTER CONSTRUCTION