Meet Rick and Cindy

Rick Black

Rick became an Austinite in 1981 after spending his formative years in El Paso, Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture, with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1992. Past employers include notable architects Frank O. Gehry and Associates, Emily Little, FAIA and John Mayfield Architect. 

Rick is a member of Preservation Austin and the Institute of Classical Arts & Architecture (ICAA). In support of the preservation of the Texas Hill Country, he serves on the Architectural Review Committee for the Preserve at Walnut Springs in Johnson City.

Rick has a strong sense of craft and consideration toward construction details, and will persist with the design until the structural concept is as strong as the initial vision. His buildings feel grounded and tactile due to his understanding of how different materials will weather and harmonize with the natural surroundings. He is a constant student of architecture and construction, seeking out innovations in building science that can be resolved and elegantly integrated into humanist space.

Cindy Black

Cindy is a fifth generation Texas from Dallas. She moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas School of Architecture, receiving a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 2000. Cindy was licensed by the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners in 2005, and served on the board and various committees of the American Institute of Architects from 2012 to 2019. Prior to her collaboration with Rick, Cindy worked for award winning firms Black + Vernooy and Furman + Keil Architects.

In support of historical works of architecture, Cindy is member of Preservation Austin and the Institute of Classical Architecture & Arts (ICAA). For her achievement in drawing and watercolor, Cindy received a Christopher H. Browne scholarship to attend the 2018 Rome Drawing Tour with ICAA, and was a finalist for the 2020 Gabriel Prize.

Cindy has an intuitive approach to configuring spaces, with convictions about the way rooms should connect to one another. She responds to places that feel intimate and will create a mixture of room proportions and ceiling heights to allow for a sense of refuge. She acts as a steward for this original vision through the life of the project, creating sketches or selecting a material palette that will reinforce the concept and convey emotional value.