Architectural expert Stephen Fox led a tour of two new homes on Del Monte Drive, giving a select group of guests inside insight about the relevance architecture plays in defining the historic River Oaks neighborhood.

Al Ross Luxury Homes, a new company building custom spec homes in River Oaks, hosted the event at side-by-side, on-the-market homes at 2218 and 2222 Del Monte.

Fox, lecturer at the Rice School of Architecture and Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture at the University of Houston, is one of the foremost authorities on Houston’s famed residential architects, including John Staub and Birdsall Briscoe.

River Oaks Bookstore was on hand with copies of Fox’s The Country Houses of John F. Staub for signature and sale during the event.

Both homes are on the market, listed by John Daugherty, Realtors: A 6,285-square-foot English Tudor country house at 2218 Del Monte has five bedrooms and 5½ baths; and a five-bedroom, 5½-bath, 6,367-square-foot French chateau next door at 2222 Del Monte.

The homes are the third and fourth new constructions in River Oaks by Al Ross, which earlier this year sold a 7,710-square-foot French chateau at 3868 Olympia Drive and a 6,315-square-foot Spanish revival home at 2240 Inwood Drive.

Blending the luxurious elegance of Old-World, European architecture with craftsmanship and leading-edge home-building techniques, Al Ross homes strike a balance of old and new, style and comfort, sophistication and function, with innovative functionality and smart-design features to create a home that supports today’s modern households. Homes start at 6,200 square feet and are priced from $3.5-$6 million.

For more information about Al Ross Luxury Homes, visit www.alrossluxuryhomes.com.