This is a 6,400 s.f. home located in the Fremont foothills. A major design issue was how to deal with a 60 foot wide easement for an underground aqueduct and communication lines that straddled the side property line. This effectively made the buildable area of the lot 30 ft. narrower.
The program requirement of a three car garage would have created a street façade dominated by garage doors. Our inspiration was to take the driveway up along the easement and make it turn inward toward the house, transitioning to a partially enclosed auto court. The court is hidden from street view and doubles as outdoor party space. It accommodates four garages.
This leaves the front façade available for a circular driveway and a dramatic gazebo-like entry with specially designed custom glass doors by EBA. The slope occurred diagonally across the site so the house followed the slope, stair stepping up the hill. This was also a design opportunity for us to put the living areas on the high side of the property to take advantage of the bay views.
Status: Built
Firm Role: Architect
