This project is an adaptive reuse of what is colloquially referred to as a ‘contemporary’ house.  Our clients came to us the task of bringing light into the interior of this house while keeping costs low.

Bringing light into a building by renovating it is typically an exercise in removing portions of it. Keeping costs low tends to work well with that strategy as well. We planned to do just that. We carefully removed parts of the exterior while at the same time hollowing out the interior to create a large volume that then filled with light.

This process of removal as a working method was an interesting one for us, and unlike most architectural work we undertake, which tends to be accretive. This particular design process felt a lot like chiseling away at a block of wood to reveal a form within.

We recognized in the existing house interesting elements that were worthy of display. Elements like the rakish roof profile and multiple intermediate levels were already present; They just needed to be refined and honed to activate the volume on the inside and a sense of definition on the outside.

On a more experiential level, the house is situated on hilly terrain with bay views over the trees from the upper reaches. We felt one of the most successful transformations was to the uppermost mezzanine level. Hollowing out the interior volume changed this enclosed, hidden, warren-like room into a comfortable perch with sweeping views of the bay to the north and a direct line of sight to the entrance and kitchen on the inside. It changed from an unoccupied room to the natural gathering space.