# New Brutalism in Dallas

By [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com) · 2020-04-22

architecture, barcelona-pavilion, brutalism, brutalist, dallas, exposed-concrete, gehan, international-style, mies-van-der-rohe, minimalism, scott-specht, unionmain-homes

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![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/bc9d06f24b80eb80913b4c6807a82c13.jpg)

Mr. and Mrs. Gehan recently completed [this home](https://spechtarchitects.com/work/preston-hollow-residenceunder-construction/) for themselves in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of Dallas. Mr. Gehan is the founder of a home building company called [UnionMain Homes](https://unionmainhomes.com/), but this home is like nothing the company builds. The architect, [Scott Specht](https://spechtarchitects.com/), describes it as being "new brutalist." There's exposed and ribbed concrete walls (which alone are [reported](https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-traditional-home-builder-tries-modern-on-for-size-in-dallas-11587578448?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s) to cost ~$720,000). But the sliding planes, cantilevered roof, and expanses of glass are reminiscent of the International Style, and in particular of the Barcelona Pavilion.

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/26dcf6a63a77999e84958248828b4085.jpg)

![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/49c0929ecc8ad7efe1776bb2de8b916f.jpg)

At around 8,826 square feet, the house cost about $6 million to build (presumably this excludes the 1.5 acre land cost). That works out to around $680 per square feet, which once again goes to show you why "[only the rich can afford this much nothing](https://brandondonnelly.com/2019/09/21/nothingness-as-art/)." Minimalism is expensive. Here's an excerpt from [the WSJ](https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-traditional-home-builder-tries-modern-on-for-size-in-dallas-11587578448?cx_testId=3&cx_testVariant=cx_2&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s): _"He \[Mr. Gehan\] was amazed by the level of detail required and the complication involved in creating a clean and simple aesthetic. That less-cluttered, simpler look will start to make its way into his production houses, he says."_

_Photos:_ [_Specht Architects_](https://spechtarchitects.com/work/preston-hollow-residenceunder-construction/)

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*Originally published on [Brandon Donnelly](https://brandondonnelly.com/new-brutalism-in-dallas)*