Most Texans are proud of their state’s heritage, and most concrete pumpers are loyal to the construction industry. However, most don’t go to the extreme levels of building a home in the shape of Texas to show their pride and loyalty. But that’s exactly what Tony and Patricia Tye, Texans and owners of Concrete Pumps of Texas plumbing company did over the past few years.
With a strong Texan background, a commitment to the construction industry and a rather ingenious approach, the Tyes mapped out a large 10,264-square-foot home shaped like
the state of Texas. Big—yes, but so is
Texas. In fact, the house sits the same
direction that the state of Texas is positioned
in the United States. And that
was no coincidence.
The Idea
Even though lots of promotional items
and souvenirs around the state say, “Don’t
Mess with Texas,” the Tyes didn’t take it
literally. They messed with the idea of a
Texas-shape house about five years ago.
Tony said, “After some checking, we
were amazed no one else had done it
before because almost everything around
here is in the shape of Texas. However,
we didn’t anticipate so much publicity.
Newspapers, TV and radio stations, aerial
photography and even Web sites have all spotlighted our Texas
home under construction.”
When the Tyes took their hand-sketched idea to The Plan Factory,
a 20-year-old architectural firm, Tony Escobedo, the owner
and chief architect, was both excited yet nervous about the unusual
request. Concerns such as structural roundness and design functionality,
roofing the home and maintaining the integrity of the
shape quickly came to mind. However, the challenge was great,
and after more than a year of detailed blueprint alternatives, the
original hand-sketched drawing was brought to life.
The Plan
During the process, Escobedo looked for guidance in effective
custom building techniques to ensure all details were covered.
As a result, they consulted with Cumming Homes, Inc, a custom
home-builder in the San Antonio area with more than 23
years of experience. Because of their connection, owner Jeffrey
Cumming became very familiar with the home and bid on the
job. The company was awarded the project and accepted the
unprecedented task ahead.
“When you’ve got the chance to build Texas, you have to take
it. Even though it brings with it unique complexities, it’s a dream
come true. We’ve even dedicated a place on our Web site to
highlight it,” Cumming said.
Although it’s difficult to imagine the layout of the two-story, fourbedroom
home, the flow is quite effective. The owners even tend
to call the rooms by the areas they represent
on the map, i.e., Brownsville or
South Texas is the main entrance with the
Rio Grande to the left. The Texas panhandle
is the kitchen area, and the bar is
the Eastern portion of the state. The entire
home, which is located about 20
miles north of San Antonio, will be completely
surrounded by a huge wraparound
porch with a balcony, which gives
the structure its unique Lone Star shape.
“Unfortunately, it’s easier to draw plans
than to build them,” commented builder
Jeffrey Cumming. “When you’re dealing
with such an unusual shape, even building
closets and cabinets is a big deal.
However, the major challenge was ensuring
that the huge 3,000-square-foot balcony
that wraps around the home 10 feet
off the ground has enough structural
integrity and is watertight when gully
washers hit the area.”
The Plan Takes Shape
The groundbreaking ceremony was held
April 27, 2001, at the existing 246-acre
TePee Texas Ranch, named after Tony
and Patricia’s initials. Various family
members and the builder broke ground
together followed by a traditional Texas
barbecue. Shortly thereafter, using
rounded edges for the radius, the forms
were precisely laid out in the famous
Texas shape. And finally, the pumping
process began on May 10.
Tony has been involved with concrete
pumping for more than 30 years. Currently,
the Tyes operate a pumping and
material placing business, which serves
the residential and commercial construction
industry. For this highly personalized
job, they relied on one of their
Putzmeister 28-meter units to pump the
approximate 200 yards needed for the
footings and wall foundations and
another 50 yards in miscellaneous areas.
During the construction, all efforts were
made to preserve the natural surroundings
of cactus and other vegetation.
Other than that, there were no other
major unexpected hurdles to overcome.
As of this writing, the Tyes were expecting to take occupancy of their new home in February 2002. With about 4,348
square feet of living space—more than
10,200 square feet with porches and balconies,
this home is certainly a “first” in
the state. Yet whether it truly remains a
– one-of-a-kind house is unknown, as the
builder has already had several interested
people calling for homes of various
shapes.
The Cost
Wondering about the cost of such an
elaborate home? Well, let’s say, “one just
can’t put a price tag on Texas.
