Located on the slope of shallow oak-studded valley, the secluded one-acre was once part of a grand estate.  A pergola and tennis court remained from that time. In 1954, a house was built near the highest elevation of the site. 

The sense of place that the house and the native landscape represented led the Owners to decide to sensitively extend the house and to build a series of satellite pavilions to provide for their needs.

The collection of pavilions are sited in the clearings of mature oaks. In the desire minimize their perceived footprints, the project is an exercise in blurring figure and ground; building and landscape.

Navigating the tension between an imposed geometry and the natural topography, each pavilion evolves its form as they move across the site, from the cardinal order of the original house to the shifting geometry of the land. Each establishes a distinct relationship to main house; and each, opens up to and melds its built-form into the natural landscape. Roofs become ground planes, inside becomes outside; each structure supporting a relationship or a pursuit that matters deeply to the Owners.

Built on a skeleton of posts and beams, ceramics studio's enclosure consists of glazing applied directly to shelves that are suspended between the original columns. This system provides ample storage and filtered light by day, and transforms into a glowing vitrine of pots and artifacts by night. A bank of shelves breaks free of the rectilinear volume to respond to the geometry of the main house and defines a kitchen garden court for outdoor living.

Sited at the parking court, the library-studio marks a gateway to the interior of the property. Taking its geometry from the main house, its roof rises to a tall canted wall of north-facing glass that opens to views of the sheltering oaks. Movable flat storage, retractable displays and bookshelves, support studious pursuits and an art practice. From the living room overlook, the building's planted roof reads as a sloping tapestry of sedums floating beyond a foreground of grasses.

Located at a far corner of the property, the guest house turns its back to the main house, revealing only its planted roofs.  Approached through a passage tucked behind a retaining wall and marked by a flying concrete canopy; the structure emphasizes seclusion, yet its airy interior opens through tall walls of glass to oak shaded patios. Fitted throughout with built-in furnishings, it is a compact and self-sufficient retreat.

The pool house presents itself as a graceful pavilion partially floating over the water's edge. Its butterfly roof, cantilevers from a stout central concrete tower that houses a brick oven and a fireplace; providing a two-sided hearth for cooking and entertaining. Large sliding doors transform the dining area into an open affair overlooking the water while a fireplace-adjacent built-in daybed hovers over the treetops.

Through the center of the hearth, a concrete stair winds it way down, first to a landing for washing and changing, and then to the inner sanctum of the spa. Below the sundeck, and against a length of a concrete wall that retains the pool, the gym opens to a woodland landscape as its outer edge bends in response to the terrain.  A concrete canopy rises to mark the linkage to the guest house and reconnection to the landscape above.

Set apart from and overlooking the landscape, the original house, designed by Calvin Straub, in 1954 consists of four distinct wings that converged at a closed-in kitchen. 

Below the shallow gable roofs, the house subscribes to a rigorous set of rules concerning structure, material and detail. Working off this matrix, the current update sets out to introduce a connectivity that was lacking and to weave in a set of new experiences.

Jettisoning hallways and walls in the public spaces, the new open plan is redefined by strategically placed cabinetry and ceiling planes. In the primary bathroom, a linear bathing zone weaves seductively into the bedroom and out to a shower garden, blurring the line between interior and exterior, even in the private spaces.