21-024 Modern Craft
On a parcel in the Santa Lucia Preserve, a young couple envisioned a full-time residence crafted for raising a family, entertaining, working from home, and prioritizing thoughtful connections with the surrounding hills and meadows. Drawing inspiration from early 20th-century architecture studio Greene & Greene and their California craftsman style, we set out to design a love letter to the carefully detailed, thoughtfully articulated traditional homes of this era through a modern and clarified lens.
The main house connects two pavilions with a glassy entry, allowing a preliminary glimpse of distant mountain views. The northern pavilion hosts public spaces - the entry foyer flows naturally into a dining room, open-plan living room, and kitchen. In the southern pavilion, primary and secondary suites offer a private retreat. Both structures’ western facades float covered porches gently off the sloping hillside, taking advantage of sweeping views in each setting and offering an updated interpretation of the traditional craftsman vernacular. A detached pool house introduces additional accommodations for guests, opening onto a sun-soaked pool deck and outdoor dining patio.
Site-Sensitive
After conducting a series of siting exercises, the team iterated towards a design that radiates multiple pavilions outwards along the crown of an existing knoll and maintains thoughtful view corridors between each structure.
Interior Architecture
After our team, Commune Design, Ground Studio, and the clients toured the iconic Gamble House among other Greene & Greene dwellings in Pasadena, we were moved by the intricately detailed homes that felt warm and lived in. A material palette of rich woods, brick, stained glass, and colorful tiling combined with craftsman detailing elicit a traditional, northern Californian feel, with a clean, modern, and refined finish.
