Architect Vel Hawes’ Own Midcentury Ju-Nel Ranch in Eastwood Estates Hits the Market

When an architect decides on a home, it must hit a lot of marks. That’s why you often find them selecting those built by their colleagues. So it’s not surprising that Velpeau (Vel) Hawes fell for this 1962 Midcentury Ju-Nel Ranch decades ago.

It’s an excellent example of Ju-Nel Homes founders Lyle Rowley and Jack Wilson’s best work and one of the last they built together. While any aficionado of Dallas architecture knows Rowley and Wilson, unfortunately, few know Hawes. 

Hawes had a 38-year career with some of Dallas’s best architectural firms, including HOK, Omniplan, and PGAL. In 1983, he became a fellow in the AIA and, in 1990, was named a Richard Upjohn Fellow. In 2006, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Dallas AIA chapter.

Hawes was not only a talented architect but also a gifted manager. He spent most of his career managing significant projects that included Texas A&M University, Raymond D. Nasher, Zale Corporation, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Neiman Marcus. Nasher also invited Hawes to work on expansions of NorthPark Mall designed by E.G. Hamilton.

As Hawes was looking forward to retirement in 2000, he got a call from Nasher. By then the two had worked together on various projects for over three decades. It was one of those calls you can’t say no to. Nasher asked Hawes to be his Owner’s Representative and manage the design and construction of the Nasher Sculpture Center.

More to the point, Nasher knew Hawes could manage the talented people involved, who also tend to have the proverbial “my way or the highway” sort of egos. Architect Renzo Piano, London-based Arup Engineers, and landscape architect Peter Walker were the talented team, and Hawes pulled off the role of Nasher’s right hand beautifully, all the while staying out of the spotlight.  

This background is not simply to finally shine a light on someone who deserves it but also to emphasize that a man with this sort of background and these impressive credentials chose a Midcentury Ju-Nel Ranch. Hawes knew quality, and as an architect, he understood the importance of preservation. This home is practically a time capsule of Rowley and Wilson’s work.

There is original walnut paneling and a classic Midcentury Ju-Nel Ranch fireplace of Mexican adobe brick. It is two-sided and has an unusual feature: square tiles, which are unique in a Ju-Nel hearth. 

Mark Weeks, who founded the Ju-Nel.com website and is now the leading authority on all things Ju-Nel, has written extensively about this home on his website.

The Hawes Residence is Mid Century Modern Architecture at its finest.  There is not another home like it, and there is not another home preserved in such a manner.

Mark Weeks

This is one of those rare opportunities to own an architecturally significant home that has been beautifully preserved. As I’ve always remarked, when a home has served one family so well for decades, it speaks to how beautifully it lives. 

Weeks who is also the listing agent with Vissute Real Estate, has this Midcentury Ju-Nel Ranch at 10462 Silverock Dr. available for $849,000. You can tour it on Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, from 12 p.m to 4 p.m.