Redwood Residence

PROJECT BRIEF WAS TO DESIGN A HOUSE ON A SLOPED SITE THAT DID THE FOLLOWING THINGS:

– ENGAGE THE EASTERN VIEWS OF THE VALLEY, WHILE STILL CONNECTING TO THE FORESTED NATURE OF THE SITE TO THE WEST.   (CAPTURE THE VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN SINK.)

– CREATE A LIVING ENVIRONMENT THAT BLURRED THE LINES BETWEEN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIVING, WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING AREAS OF RETREAT AND ENCLOSURE.

– HONOR THE REDWOOD USED FOR THE PROJECT. (THE CLIENT PROVIDED FALLEN OLD GROWTH REDWOOD THAT THEY HAD SAVED FOR DECADES, WITH THE INTENT OF USING IT IN A LASTING RESIDENCE.)

TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS WE CREATED TWO SIMPLE SHEDS BISECTED BY A ORGANIZATIONAL SPINE: 

– AREAS OF RETREAT, WITH VIEWS UP INTO THE FOREST, WERE TO THE WEST OF THE WALL, AND AREAS OF ACTIVITY WERE TO THE EAST AND ENGAGED THE DISTANT VIEWS.

– WRAP THE EXTERIOR (EXCEPT THE CIRCULATION SPINE) IN THE REDWOOD.

– BRING THE REDWOOD INTO THE RESIDENCE TO FURTHER REINFORCE THE CIRCULATION SPINE.

– HONOR THE USE OF STRUCTURAL WOOD COLUMNS WITH CLEAN DETAILING THAT CELEBRATED THE TIMBER.

Design Challenge

THE CLIENT PROVIDED FALLEN OLD GROWTH REDWOOD THAT THEY HAD SAVED FOR DECADES, WITH THE INTENT OF USING IT IN A LASTING RESIDENCE.  WE WERE TASKED WITH HONORING THE USE OF THAT REDWOOD, TO DO THAT WE: - WRAPPED THE EXTERIOR (EXCEPT THE CIRCULATION SPINE) IN THE REDWOOD. - BROUGHT THE REDWOOD INTO THE RESIDENCE TO FURTHER REINFORCE THE CIRCULATION SPINE. -  CELEBRATED THE TIMBER WITH ELEGANT COLUMN DETAILS THAT EXPRESSED THE BEAUTY AND ROBUSTNESS OF THE WOOD.  THESE COLUMNS WERE ACCESSIBLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE BUILDING - GIVING THE USER A SENSE OF 'LEANING ON A TREE'...

Physical Context

WE WERE ENGAGED TO CREATE A RESIDENCE THAT RESPONDED TO THE EASTERN VIEWS OF THE VALLEY, WHILE STILL CONNECTING TO THE FORESTED NATURE OF THE SITE TO THE WEST.   (AN ADDITIONAL CLIENT DIRECTIVE WAS WE MUST CAPTURE THE VIEW FROM THE KITCHEN SINK.) TO FURTHER CONNECT THE CLIENTS TO THE SITE, WE WERE ASKED TO CREATE A LIVING ENVIRONMENT THAT BLURRED THE LINES BETWEEN INDOOR AND OUTDOOR LIVING, WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING AREAS OF RETREAT AND ENCLOSURE. TO DO THIS WE CREATED TWO SIMPLE SHEDS BISECTED BY A ORGANIZATIONAL SPINE:  - AREAS OF RETREAT, WITH VIEWS UP INTO THE FOREST, WERE TO THE WEST OF THE WALL - AREAS OF ACTIVITY WERE TO THE EAST AND ENGAGED THE DISTANT VIEWS.