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Art Village, a Lakeway-based “boutique home builder,” emphasizes architecture, aesthetics and craftsmanship to create homes with distinct identities, CEO and founder Ihor Stepanov said.
The background
Stepanov came to Austin from Kyiv, Ukraine, over seven years ago to continue pursuing residential development opportunities.
In Ukraine, Stepanov worked in residential and commercial development and was eager to bring his expertise to Austin, he said.
“I didn’t know any English when I first came to Austin ... and I had no understanding of local rules,” Stepanov said. “Now we have built more than 25 houses ... more than 70,000 square feet.”
The first house Art Village built was priced around $700,000. Now, the company is working on a $5 million house, Stepanov said.
The process
Stepanov describes a “big idea” as crucial to everything the company creates. This includes combining technical challenges with unique design aspects, he said.
That philosophy can be seen in the variety of Art Village’s projects.
Rather than relying on one architectural style, the company’s portfolio includes modern, Scandinavian and contemporary designs, with individual homes ranging from roughly 2,000 square feet to nearly 5,200 square feet.
One example is the company’s Hill View Residence in Lakeway.
“Some builders don’t want to build on slopes because there’s a lot of challenges,” Stepanov said. “You have to be creative ... that’s why we decided, ‘OK, if nobody wants to work in this area, I can work in this area.’”
Of Art Village’s 25 homes, 17 were built on slopes.
The details
Art Village’s team includes architects, engineers, project managers and other specialists who work together throughout the development process.
“We build this process for clients and it’s so much easier,” Stepanov said. “When we complete the house there is trust with our clients because we cover the whole process.”
The combination of design and development has become the company's niche in the Hill Country housing market, he said.
What else
Today, Art Village continues to develop homes in Lakeway and the surrounding Austin area, with several residences under construction and others completed.
The company may branch into commercial development as well, Stepanov said.
“My ideal picture for the future is to have a community of people that help each other and develop each other,” Stepanov said. “A community where my company and my clients grow together.”
