A Tour Through the Steel House

For 3 weekends straight, I've been checking out the art scene.

This past weekend the scene was happening in Ransom Canyon, which is about half an hour drive outside of Lubbock.

The event on Sunday was the Visions of Art' tour, which started at the steel house designed by Robert Bruno (who had very recently succumbed to cancer) and continued at an art exhibit at the Ranch House, an event center across the lake.

Months before I moved to Lubbock, I was researching all sorts of things about and around Lubbock, and the steel house was one of the things that I came across. It was one of the sights that I wanted to see, and little did I expect that I would have an opportunity to actually go inside it.

So when the opportunity presented itself this past Sunday, I jumped at the chance, even if it meant having to separate myself from $5.

The steel house is a remarkable structure from whatever angle you look at it. It is both sculpture and a residence. And it has an organic, yet extraterrestrial, look to it.

From this view it is easy to imagine people boarding a spaceship to take them to the far reaches of the galaxy to unimaginable new worlds.

And the house from this view resembles the head of a horse

or a pig.

But no matter which way you look at it, the steel house is an impressive structure.

The inside is no less impressive, despite the understated entrance.

That understatement, however, is a fitting foil for the ornate gate at the front entrance.

These curving stairs hint at the amazement that is to come.

It's really hard to tell which end is up.

And with some of the photographs, I hoped that I remembered correctly the orientation of the image.

Throughout the steel house, stained glass windows provide a stunning counterpoint.

This is a view looking up to the upper level.

The rooms inside the steel house are cavernous.

And in some places it's like walking inside a steel cathedral.

It's amazing that this structure is actually a residence.

Another view looking up.

This stairway was blocked off. I wonder where it leads to.

One of the many fabulous windows in this house.

Everywhere you look there is a design element that inspires a sense of awe.

That white sign way up high is a warning to watch your step.

The steel house is also a place where one has to be stone cold sober to live in, especially since there are a lot of open spaces overlooking the lower level. These open spaces don't have any protective rails, so that if you're not paying attention, a misstep could lead to very serious injury, or worse. You definitely could not have any wild drunken parties at this place.

Can you imagine what it would like to be to live in this place.

The fellow who owns the stone house across the street (more on that later) and who was a good friend of Robert Bruno told me that "when you live inside a sculpture, your life changes forever." I wish he would have elaborated on that interesting concept, but he was anxious to find his young son (who was up on the roof the last time I saw him).

The steel plates used to make the house were left to rust so that what you see is their natural, organic beauty. Some still had the warehouse numbers on them.

Can you imagine something like this as your dining area

with this nice view of the canyon?

No matter which window you look out of, the view is spectacular.

And what's even more spectacular than looking out a window is going out on the roof.

Not only do you get to see a beautiful view of the canyon lake,

you also get to see the outside of the house up close.

(That little island in the upper part of the lake is where the Ranch House is located.)

I was in such awe over being out on the roof that I inadvertently ventured onto an area where I was not supposed to go. So was I gently reprimanded by Max, the young son of the fellow who owns the stone house.

Even the most utilitarian parts of the house, such as this hot water heater,

foam insulation,

and electrical circuit boxes are tucked away within the organic design elements.

Here are the stairs that lead down to the basement, where the hot water heater, foam insulation, and electrical circuit boxes are located.

After exploring inside the house, I explored the grounds outside.

It was a bit tough for me to get down to the level where the house was anchored into the ground because I did not wear the proper shoes to go down a rocky embankment. But a young man named Tanner grabbed my arm and helped me down so that I could take pictures of the view from Robert Bruno's back yard.

Ransom Canyon is definitely a neighborhood with expensive homes. Such gorgeous views do not come cheap.

(Here's a close-up of that house.)

And it's amazing that just half an hour outside of Lubbock, which is very flat, you would find such a dramatic change of terrain.

The beauty is spectacular.

And the cliffs are up close, in your face.

(And here's a closeup of the house that's on the far left edge of the pic above.)

Even the backyard had some cool stuff, like this large clump of prickly pear cacti.

(Here's a closeup of one of the prickly pear cacti.)

There's even steel from past projects in the backyard.

Heading back to my car I saw this HUGE cactus plant

that had some pretty yellow fruit budding on its tips.

And here's the stone house that's right near the steel house across the street.

Max (the boy who reprimanded me up on the roof of the steel house) told me to go knock on the door and that his father would give me a tour of the house.

How I would have loved that! And Max's father was even willing to accommodate me at another time.

However, for the time being, I had to content myself with just an outside view of the stone house.

But that was OK.

I was still trying to process all the visual details of the steel house and trying to imagine just how my life would be forever changed by living inside a sculpture.