The building pad provided by the developer was long and narrow. It was set into a fairly steep slope with nothing to look at on the uphill side. The view downhill was lovely and open, however it was not particularly scenic as it overlooked a quaint small horse ranch. About 60 degrees to the right of that view directly downhill was a spectacular side view of one of the most desirable valleys in the region extending for miles outward and finally surrounded by beautiful green hills in the distance. This angled view was the real prize. The Developer required a non-flat roof solution, still modern and contemporary, but also friendly and closer to a more identifiable typical house shape with a gabled roof. The design developed into a long linear home laid out along a central circulation corridor that extended both inside and outside. Set against this long spine were the 2 most important spaces, the living/dining and the primary suite which were angled at both 30 and 60 degrees, creating a rectangular captured outdoor space for garden and pool, as well as creating a new axis aligned with the angled view towards the valley below and distant surrounding hills.
The concept design was sold early on and from that point the project shifted to a direct hire working for the homeowner as Client. The developer stepped back and became the builder only. The new client fell in love with the layout and wanted to focus on making the living room and primary suite into something a little above and beyond the rest of the home. To emphasize the importance of the spaces, the standard gable roof took on a little life of its own and shifted over towards the view direction, allowing it to become asymmetric with one side at a steeper slope while the long side had a lower slope and extended over the façade to become a canopy over the terrace & pool space. To achieve this a study began for an efficient and light yet unique and elegant exposed roof truss system. In an inspired collaboration between the Architect and Engineer, the duo designed a structural T and double angle custom steel truss that alternated the angle of its bottom chord creating quite a beautiful undulating pattern across the ceiling. The steel was painted black with a stained walnut infill planking to give a deep rich color tone to the whole ceiling area overhead. In the primary suite, the same stained walnut planking was used on the ceiling by itself to further accent that space. Steel was not necessary and a standard roof joist TJI system was hidden within the roof sandwich above. Circulation outside is highlighted with a steel and frosted glass canopy that connects the detached gym/guest room with the garage front and then directly to the front entry of the house.
The 2 main spaces at an angle are grounded with a stone cladding giving it a sense of permanence and longevity. While the main house along the primary axis is clad in vertical oak siding reminiscent of nearby homes with wood cladding whose color blends into the hillside particularly in the summer and fall months when the hillside grasses are light in color.
