It’s one thing to hear about the incredible Robert Richard
Bruno house, a Lubbock home made out of 110 tons of scrap metal. It’s quite
another to turn a corner and have the 2,200-square-foot unique architectural
structure come into view.
The three-story house overlooking Ransom Canyon was the
lifelong project of Bruno, a Texas Tech College of Architecture professor. He
began the home in 1974 and worked on it until his death in 2008 but he never saw it completed. He lived there for only seven months.
The house still needs 30 percent more
work to be complete but it's unclear if this will happen. His daughter, Christina Bruno, owns the house but it’s Henry
F. Martinez — who worked with Bruno for 22 years and took over Bruno’s company,
P and R Surge Systems — that opens the house for tours, much as Bruno had when he was living. Martinez loves showing off the house and does so for architecture students, travel writers like me and for photo shoots. The uniquely styled house has been on record covers and in Vogue magazine, among others.
“He (Bruno) would always allow people to come in here to look at the house, even when he was here,” Martinez said. “And I’m trying to do the same.”
We visited this week with temperatures hitting 100, and a
house made of all that steel gets pretty stifling inside. Once Martinez opened
the front door and a small living room window that faces the lake, a breeze
brought some relief. The Steel House with its curves and round windows resembles
a hobbit enclave, but above ground as if on legs. There are twists and turns
inside, stairs heading up and down the three levels, and stained glass for
colorful accents. Once through the front door and down the entrance hall if
you will, visitors emerge into the living room that jets over the canyon and
offers a gorgeous view of Lake Ransom Canyon. On one side of the hallway is a
small kitchen, the other the master bedroom with full bath and some of Bruno's furniture and items. Stairs lead down to
a dark level where Bruno wanted to create his office while upstairs is a lounge
area, complete with a stage area ready for performances.
Most of the house is accessible. Some steps are off limits
due to safety issues. Several walls and floors are unfinished and many rooms
appear as if construction just began. The bones are in place but the interior
begs for completion. Tours aren’t air conditioned because of the infrequency of
people visiting and the cost involved, but the house does have central air and
heating and a working plumbing system.
 |
| Stairs and stained glass |
 |
| Living Room |
 |
| Living room view of Lake Ransom Canyon |
 |
Robert Bruno in the photograph
Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by travel and food writer Chere Dastugue Coen. She couldn't resist sitting in the living room window and snapping a selfie.
|
British street artist Banksy helped himself to several outdoor
canvases after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. One of the 16
buildings he “embellished” with his street art in August 2008 (Katrina’s third
anniversary) was a warehouse co-owned by hotelier Sean Cummings and actor-author HillHarper. 
