MONTANA HOUSE
The Montana house is located in a transitional neighborhood downtown. The quiet exterior of the house gives way to an interior courtyard.
At the heart of this house, the courtyard provides a private and lush environment for indoor-outdoor living and entertaining.
DESIGN
DESIGN
DESIGN
DESIGN
DESIGN
We strive for design that supports health and happiness, and which leaves a positive impact on the planet.
We believe in quality over quantity; great projects are not defined by size or budget, but by intention and execution.
We love what we do and the people we work with. Listening, collaboration and trust are fundamental to our practice.
About
Our design approach combines the creative and technical aspects of place-making to deliver solutions that are impactful, elegant, and sustainable. We provide full architectural services from conceptual design through construction administration. Our work includes single-family and multi-family residential new construction, selective remodels and additions, and small-scale commercial urban infill.
Our office is located downtown in an adaptively repurposed transfer station which we call "The Space Station". The 0.4 acre site, once an asphalt parking lot, is being converted into an extensive urban prairie garden and pollinator habitat. The Space Station is a constant inspiration to do more with less.
People
Cotton Estes, AIA, LEED AP
Professional Experience
Cotton Estes Architect, San Antonio TX
HighCotton Architects, San Antonio TX
Lake Flato Architects, San Antonio TX
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, Philadelphia PA
Education
Master of Architecture, Yale University School of Design
Drawing Prize Award
H.I. Feldman Prize Nominee
Frank D. Isreal Admissions Chair Scholarship
Bachelor of Arts, Bowdoin College
Majors in Environmental Studies and Visual Arts
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
Justin Ford, AIA, CDT, LEED AP
Professional Experience
Cotton Estes Architect, San Antonio TX
Lake Flato Architects, San Antonio TX
MF Architecture, Austin TX
The Construction Zone, Ltd., Phoenix AZ
Education
Master of Architecture, The University of Texas at Austin
Bartlett Cocke General Scholarship
Bachelor of Science in Design, Arizona State University
Magna Cum Laude
Joan Frazer Memorial Award
Sean Murphy Prize
Press & Recognition
Residential Design Architecture Awards 2026
Renovation Citation Award | The Cootie Catcher
Residential Design Architecture Awards 2026
Architectural Interiors Citation Award | Tierra de Paz
Texas Architect "Cootie Catcher" Adaptation Issue, Spring 2026 by Noel Kuwabara | The Cootie Catcher
The New York Times, Aug. 26th 2025
"Staying in San Antonio After Building a New 'Heart' for Their Home" by Tim McKeough | The Cootie Catcher
Residential Design Magazine Vol 6. 2025
by Cheryl Weber | Tierra de Paz
AIA San Antonio 2025 Single-Family Residential Award
The Cootie Catcher
"Spectacular Women of Architect & Design Texas" 2024
by Jolie Carpenter Barry | Barrera House
Pecha Kucha San Antonio, Vol. 44 2024
Cotton Estes at the Carver Community Cultural Center
AIA San Antonio 2024 Unbuilt Award
Honey Creek
Residential Design Magazine Vol. 1 2024
by S. Claire Conroy, Barrera House
Texas Butterfly Ranch, Jul. 6th 2024
AIA San Antonio 2023 Single-Family Residential Award
Barrera House
Texas Society of Architects' Design Award 2022
Residential Design Architecture Awards 2022
On the Boards Citation Award | Honey Creek
Residential Design Magazine Vol. 3 2022
Custom on the Boards | Honey Creek
CRAN AIA San Antonio Design Award 2022
Multi-Family Award | Boston Commons
Texas Architect "Uncommon Courtesy" May/Jun 2022
by Brantley Hightower | Boston Commons
"Bigger than Tiny, Smaller than Average" 2022
by Sheri Koones | Pine House
AIA San Antonio Merit Award 2021
Pine House
Texas Architect "Double Duty" Jul/Aug 2020
by Brantley Hightower | Pine House
AIA San Antonio Unbuilt Citation Award 2020
AIA Women in Architecture Exhibit
"3 Studies in Urban Infill" 2020
Home Design & Decor "Long Leaf Pine & Cinder" Aug/Sept 2019
by Angela Rabke | Dawson House
AIA Homes Tour San Antonio 2018
Dawson House & Presa Houses
The San Antonio Express News "Inside the Homes of San Antonio Architects" Jul 28, 2016 | Dawson House
© Cotton Estes Architect, PLLC 2018