A Beautiful Compromise

The design for this residence was informed by the following conditions. First, substandard lot size, second the desire of the wife to "live" at grade with her garden while the husband wanted to live in the trees, and third the allowance for an abundance of natural light while maintaining privacy.

The solution was a division of the program with public spaces on the ground level adjacent to the front and back gardens. The private functions on the second floor, and a rooftop retreat on the third. The form evolved into a long rectangle, with the kitchen pulled out to provide adjacency and privacy to the outdoor spaces. The wood framed structure was kept nearly solid on three sides, the exception being the south that was heavily glazed. A combination of wood framed shear walls and a three story steel moment frame was developed to allow for this introduction of abundant light. A wood screen located four feet beyond the south window wall was developed to provide for sun protection in the summer while maintaining a sense of privacy. Between the house and the screen, metal grated terraces were created off all upper floor bedrooms. A secondary stair from the Master Bedroom to the roof was inserted between the screen and house.

Interior finishes were kept very simple, sheet rock for the walls and ceilings, concrete or hardwood for the floors. The steel moment frame was left exposed in its natural state and will be waxed.