Round House

Tucked away in Los Altos Hills, the aptly named Round House is a geometrically unique structure; one of a few similarly shaped homes built in California in the 60s. The clients fell in love with this quirky circular house and initially planned a modest remodel. Soon after moving in, the pair recognized the inefficiencies of their new home – low roof eaves curiously obstructed the otherwise spectacular views, spurring their desire to open and modernize the design. Our team set out to craft a respectful enrichment of the home’s original form, focusing in on a site-sensitive response to the steep, challenging plot.

Perched atop a precipitous site, the structure has 180-degree views with a deck that runs around its perimeter. The original central courtyard, once open-to-sky, transformed into the kitchen – an appropriate gesture for an aspiring baker and a family of food enthusiasts. A large circular skylight streams daylight into the kitchen, creating a makeshift sundial that illuminates different sections of custom curved casework throughout the day. An outdoor deck is strategically carved out at the intersection of the living room and kitchen – framing sprawling views of the South Bay. A Japanese style of charred wood siding, called Shou Sugi Ban, seamless concrete floors, crisp curved white walls, and minimalist interiors let the colorful and dramatic views speak first.

Beyond the imaginative design and technically skilled execution, the home, at its core, is a vessel for experiencing the ethereal beauty of the surroundings. “I just love the way the building opens up to the land, how it interacts with the site. The views and just the experience — what it really feels like from inside out—that, to me, is maybe the biggest success of the project” Steven Stept, AIA, Partner in Charge for Dwell Magazine.

LOCATION Los Altos Hills, California

PROJECT TEAM
Landscape Architect: Variegated Green
General Contractor: Baywest Builders
Lighting Design: Tucci Lighting
Structural Engineer: BKG Structural Engineers
Civil Engineer: Lea & Braze Engineering, Inc.
Geotechnical Consultant: Romig Engineers Inc
Arborist: Urban Tree Management
Photography: Adam Rouse

CASE STUDY
Process Case Study: Round House

AWARDS
2022 Residential Design Honor Award: Renovation
Interior Design Best of the Year Award 2022: Kitchen
2022 SARA National Design Awards: Excellence Award
2022 Luxe RED Awards: Restoration or Renovation
2022 Master Design Awards: Whole House More Than $700,000 — GOLD
Dwell Design Awards 2021: Kitchen

PUBLICATIONS
Dwell
Enki Magazine
Wallpaper
The Local Project
Qualified Remodeler
Hoom
Elle Decor Italy
Dezeen
AD Russia
designboom
Gessato
Floornature
Urbana

Tierwelthaus

The name Tierwelthaus, or ‘Wildlife House’ evolved from the unique relationship between the home and the land. A heavily used deer trail passes into the canyon to the north and a screech owl who had taken up quarters within the structure during construction now frequents the property. A pair of bobcats regularly patrol the yard, while birds and small creatures alike have built homes in the encompassing terrain.

The home faces due west, and onto a quiet road that lifts away from the house. Recognizing that its primary visual access comes from above, the redesign included an uplift of the home’s exterior and front façade. The east face of the home sits on a down sloping hill and upon entering the house, one has immediate visual access to the sweeping views beyond. Expansive decks on both levels extend the trajectory outwards placing one directly into nature.

On the exterior, a horizontal composite louvre system was applied to provide privacy and emphasize the linearity of the façade. A minimalist garden pavilion cropping out from the front veneer creates a layered entryway into the home. To give further clarity to the house’s structure and design, agave plants, cabbage trees, and succulents, inspired by New Zealand landscape were cultivated throughout the site. The addition of the drought-resistant, contemporary landscape immediately adjacent to the home integrates its modern design with the surrounding setting while also allowing the environment to dissipate into its own native form.

LOCATION Portola Valley, California

PROJECT TEAM

Structural Engineer: Sheerline Structural Engineers
Builder: John Rodhouse, Olivewood Inc.
Landscape: Surface Design Inc
Civil Engineer: Lea + Braze Engineering Inc
Geotechnical Consultant: Murray Engineers
Photography: Paul Dyer

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS

Interiors California
Dwell
ArchDaily
Decor Punk

Lencioni Construction

The Lencioni Construction Company’s newly acquired office building’s warehouse identity and retro architectural elements offered a strong potential to explore the dialectic between a rugged industrial shell and a sensitive modern intervention. The father and son team aspired to create an interior remodel that speaks to the high-end residential work that the company is reputed for. Their passion and direct engagement with the architects has resulted in the successful rejuvenation, yet honest interpretation of an old building with great bones.

Set in the industrial center of San Carlos, the nondescript exterior facades have been pared down to simplify and unify a few chosen elements. New storefront windows replace infill walls, maximizing natural daylight into the office spaces. A new entry portal inserted into an otherwise flat façade frames the primary access to the Lencioni office space, one of three units on the property.

The exposed concrete floors, concrete blocks, wood trusses, and ceilings have been carefully restored and refurbished to enhance the tension between and old and new. A monolithic ‘carpenter’s block’ tucked at the back of the unit creates an elevated mezzanine space with workstations that overlook the area below. Modern details against a traditional framework characterize this unique commercial space tucked between long-established car garages and emerging contemporary properties.

LOCATION San Carlos, CA

PROJECT TEAM
General Contractor: Lencioni Construction
Structural Engineer: Saabco Consulting
Lighting Design: Techlinea Inc.
Photography: Paul Dyer

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
Office Snapshots
E-Architect

The Farm

The clients for The Farm were determined to create a contemporary, sustainable, and functional home for their family within the building constraints of urban San Francisco. The house, built in 1912, was a shingle-and-brick Edwardian sitting on a large but overgrown lot. It evoked the casual charm of an old New England shingle-style house and, because larger parcels are a rarity in the city, was given the tongue-in-cheek name The Farm. The clients loved the character of the older home and wanted its rehabilitation to respect and maintain its original grace and charm.

The new design opened the floor plan. A new central stair topped with expansive skylights now floods the interiors with natural light. New French doors on two levels provide generous connections to the yard.

SUSTAINABILITY
An abundance of sustainable features, many of them subtly hidden, were installed on the property and achieved LEED Platinum. Two types of water re-use systems –rainwater and grey water–with their tanks concealed below the rear deck, harvest water for irrigating the new gardens and flushing the toilets. An HRV (Heat Recovery Ventilation) system provides the home with clean air without energy loss. A large solar array powers the majority of the home’s electrical needs and helps heat the domestic water as well as the hydronic in-floor heating. The house features advanced water- and power-monitoring. Materials are sustainably sourced and non-toxic. Carefully modifying the old house to meet the needs of a modern family and inserting high-performance, sustainable building strategies have transformed The Farm into an elegant structure that perfectly suits our historic but forward-looking San Francisco.

LOCATION San Francisco, California

PROJECT TEAM
Interiors: Feldman Architecture
Landscape Architect: Ground Studio Landscape Architecture
Contractor: Jeff King & Company
Structural Engineer: Strandberg Engineering
Mechanical Engineer: Monterey Energy Group
Photography: Matthew Millman

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
The NY TImes
Sunset Magazine
gb&d Magazine
ELUXE Magazine
Roof Magazine
Inhabitat
Contemporist
Elle Decor Spain

Twin Peaks

Overlooking the natural elegance of the Mount Sutro Open Reserve, the Twin Peaks Residence is a direct reflection of the occupants who live there, two highly active 30-somethings with a passion for yoga and a thirst for travel. Inspired by the sloping hill and bountiful garden, both client and architect worked in tandem to elevate the property into a modern transformation by opening up the original compartmentalized main floor, with the goal of visually and physically connecting it to the spacious rear yard.

The structure of the house was kept largely intact to celebrate the exposed beams, high ceiling, and Japanese ski cabin-esque design. A light greywash was added to draw the dwelling together, as well as highly crafted materials and details to enhance its charm and create moments of architectural interest.

Beneath a pitched ceiling and butterfly-like skylights, sits a cozy reading nook with direct access to a new roof deck, complete with auspicious views of the Golden Gate. The master bedroom is preceded by a yoga annex and allows immediate access to the rear garden, while the upper living space flows easily out to the comfortable hillside carrel. Running the height of the stairwell is a wood slat screen, acting as a privacy screen that still allows the light to gently filter in.

The soft, minimalist palette is enhanced by whimsical touches, a thoughtful collaboration between the architect and client. A blue velvet sofa, leather- topped bar stools, carefully chosen decorative tiles, light fixtures, and a collection of unique sculptures the client had picked up on a trip to Copenhagen create a diacritic space reflective of her unique personality. Her direct involvement and excitement are what made this project so special. The home isn’t generic because of her willingness to take risks and add in fun details.

LOCATION San Francisco, California

PROJECT TEAM
Interiors: Feldman Architecture
Landscape Architect: Ground Studio Landscape Architecture
Builder: Upscale Construction
Lighting Design: Kim Cladas Lighting Design
Structural Engineer: Strandberg Engineering
Landscape Contractor: Frank & Grossman
Cabinetmaker: Eby Construction
Photography: Joe Fletcher

AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Chrysalis National Awards, 2018
Qualified Remodeler: Master Design Awards, 2018

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS
Metropolis Magazine
Dwell
Domus
DesignBoom
Dezeen
G&G Magazine
ArchDaily
Elle Decor Spain