San Francisco, California
Located above Mission Dolores Park and below an uphill two-story home to the West, this contemporary residence responds to its traditional Victorian context through strategies of massing and layout. Spaces are organized about a floating vertical circulation core. Fluid transitions are choreographed between the indoor / outdoor discourse of the garden floor; the repose of the middle floor’s bedrooms and private family room; and the expansive kitchen, dining and living spaces above. Extensive glazing defines the upper floor, engaging urban vistas to the East.
Atherton, California
Nestled into a sloped and densely wooded site, the residence takes full advantage of western views to the nearby coastal foothills. To the east, boxed planes of glass punctuate the interplay of teak and stone against a sunken garden and motor court. The home’s public spaces surround a faceted concrete hearth and are topped with sharply angled roofs rising to west, capturing panoramic views and gathering natural light. To the north, the hall terminates in a glazed gangway, pulling the eye past the master suite to a cantilevered outdoor terrace tucked into the surrounding redwoods. Additional lower level bedrooms, built into the hillside, open to the pool and an intimate waterfall garden.
Materials: reclaimed teak, fly ash concrete, stone veneer and glass
San Francisco, California
This extensive interior remodel of an 1880s flat on a historically significant block of homes in Hayes Valley combined a faithful restoration and enhancement of the existing Victorian detailing in the living and dining rooms with a complete transformation of the kitchen and bath. The back of the house was stripped to studs and interior walls removed to allow us to relocate the kitchen for access to and views of the garden. In this part of the house, more contemporary but complementary design decisions include teak floors, granite counters with heath tile backsplash, walnut waterfall counter at the peninsula, and Italian glass tile at the tub surround. As the flat had not been updated in decades, the work encompassed installation of all new systems: electrical panel, new gas lines, central heating, dimmable LED lighting and security.
Construction: Cronin Construction
Landscape Design: Flora Grubb Gardens
Staging: Guild Staging and Design
San Francisco, California
The undersized lot, surrounded on three sides, offers the opportunity to propose an unusual residence. The expressive structure extends three stories from an excavated lower level. The second level pulls back from the glazed eastern wall creating a double height area, serving as a stone sculpture studio. Bedrooms on the upper floor are delineated by expansive glazing to provide apple light and opens the compact square footage to Eastern and Northern urban views. The sculptural Cor-Ten steel front wall and cut-stone base set the residence off from the conventional fabric of the surrounding neighborhood.
Lake County, California
Perched half-way up the side of a small mountain, this Lake County weekend residence looks southward toward Clearlake and the dormant Konokti volcano, over the town of Upper Lake and surrounding walnut groves. The folded roof planes and deep eaves respond to the southern view and plentiful sunlight to ensure comfortable year-round temperatures and natural light. The home is organized along a multi-functional spine and clad in stone veneer. Separating the hall from the baths and bedrooms and directing visitors to the communal kitchen, dining, and living spaces, this organizing element is a solar heat sink absorbing the winter sunlight and reflecting it back into the house as well as efficiently housing the mechanical and plumbing systems.
