Sebastopol Hillside ll.

It was a true pleasure to envision a family compound by designing this project for the mother of our clients at the adjacent property-Sebastopol Hillside 1, completed in 2017. You can see the play of rooflines between the two on the second image in the folio. Site opportunities and challenges on this even steeper hillside property once again yielded a unique solution.

The key challenge was how best to navigate fourteen feet from street level to a clear sweet spot for the main level–the obvious elevation from which the views from the house over meadows and mountains beyond would be at their fullest and most dramatic. Again, the solution resided in a sculptural entry stair that grounds itself at the first run, only to lift off the ground until it reaches the entry landing.

The terrain was also used to accommodate a garage. In turn, allowing for roof deck that provides indoor-outdoor living from the living space. And to accommodate aging in place ,a residential elevator connects the two levels.

A shed roof over the living room echoes the paired shed rooflines at Sebastopol 1and boxy forms for the guest and primary rooms echo the entry (with its own roof deck) next door too. Once again cementitious panels are used. At Sebastopol2, horizontal cladding is shifted, one zone to the next between thin battens set at irregular pattern to modulate the windowless boxy format play necessary to maximize privacy from the busy street below.

While different, especially regarding the color of each home, there is a synergy between the homes regarding forms and proportion. And still, new trees on the hillside, growing since 2017, also provide just the right amount of privacy. Nonetheless, an uphill path between properties ensures the grandkids can run back and forth to Grandma’s house.