The site for this 5000 sf residence consists of a down slope hillside lot, wedged between the street, a driveway easement for an adjacent property, and a neighbors’ home. Due to the restrictions of the project’s location, the massing and orientation of the residence are derived from various internal and external site and program parameters.

Organized into two envelopes – northern and southern – the house is situated upon a ground floor plinth inserted into the hillside. The plinth simultaneously retains the hillside to carve out the ground floor spaces, creates the pool deck, and cantilevers a platform over the easement to accommodate the necessary footprint for the upper levels of the house. A triple height stair core, in conjunction with strategically located operable windows and skylights, acts to naturally ventilate the residence, and provide access to all floors.

In response to the level of exposure to the street and adjacent properties, the northern envelope develops into an opaque volume with minimal windows and a green roof system. This volume contains the internally focused spaces within the home. The southern envelope screens the remainder of the property from the street and the western solar exposure in a similar manner as the northern volume, while opening to the east and south to capitalize on city views, wind patterns and to optimize passive heating/cooling options. The southern roof is sheathed with a full array of solar panels to power the residence.