Style in Steel

4158 Meyerwood, the central two-story middle unit of The Style in Steel Townhouses, was constructed in 1968 as demonstration houses for the 1969 National Association for Home Builders (NAHB) show at the Astrodome Astrohall. Sponsored by the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI), Houston Lighting and Power (HL&P), and General Electric (GE), these houses served as a promotional development to showcase the practicality and advantages of steel in residential construction. Steel was utilized throughout the house, not only in the structural elements but also in the furniture, equipment, and fittings.

In 2007, the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission designated the townhouses as protected landmarks. Architects Talbott Wilson and Hal Weatherford, of the firm Wilson, Morris, Crain & Anderson, were responsible for designing the townhouses, and the builder was a renowned Houston builder, Sam Johnson. Prior to being designated as a landmark, 4158 underwent several alterations by previous owners, including the enclosure of the flat roof and cantilevered carport in the form of a garage. The forecourt was also covered with a roof and glass storefront to regulate the climate and expand interior space.

Our primary restorative actions encompassed the reconstruction of the forecourt’s cedar sunscreen and stucco walls, the restoration of the original landscape brick privacy walls and paver ramp, the restoration of the carport, the installation of operable sliding glass doors, the drywall and reveals, and the removal of an elevator installed in the early 2000s. Numerous other details were meticulously restored to restore the townhouse’s dynamic spaces.