Sited on a gentle swath of land, Rome deploys simple forms to create a dynamic of relationships between interior and exterior spaces. The L-shaped house, together with its carport and connecting retaining walls create two informal courts. The procession begins at the arrival court, ascends along a pair of concrete walls, and bypasses a private court to reach the main level.

Bedrooms at lower level opens to the private court centered around a pepper tree. Upper level living space stretches from a cantilevered deck with city views, through a dining area, to a pine-shaded patio and the gentle hill. An open kitchen and a core of cabinetry surround a three-story stair tower that culminates at the library-mezzanine over-looking the dining area. This stair tower imparts natural light deep into the interior; and along with clerestories at the mono-slope roofs, enables convective cooling throughout the house