Rose Garden

• About this project

  It’s always an honor to contribute to the tapestry of Berkeley Hills architecture. This private residence, located near the Berkeley Rose Garden, frames beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay. The building sits on a down-sloping lot. The building appears as a single-story from the street, while on the back, it’s a full two-stories in height.

  It’s modest street scale relates to other neighborhood buildings and does not obstruct views of neighboring properties. Traditional exterior materials also relate the building to the neighborhood.

  The Tapestry of Berkeley Hills Architecture

  Designing buildings that are contextual, that fit in with the pattern of homes in a neighborhood, can be a key to getting the approvals necessary to build, and gain neighborhood support. This project was typical in that respect.

  We used a combination of cedar shingles and painted wood siding on the exterior to shape the volume of the building. Since we used more traditional exterior cladding materials on the front, we chose to use a more contemporary application on the rear elevation. This relates directly to the modern floor plan, the connection of indoor and outdoor spaces outdoors, and the expansive views beyond.

  The main living space is light-filled and dramatic. Vaulted ceilings cover a large room that is used for both living and dining. The different ceiling forms define the living and dining area. We designed a tall living room that’s sky lit from above.  In contrast, we defined the dining room with a lower, wood beam ceiling.

  We tucked the kitchen to the side of the dining space where it also shares views of the Bay. Both the dining room and kitchen open onto a large deck for entertaining.

  We placed all of the public spaces on the entry level, along with an office/guest room which we connected to an ensuite bath.

  A straight-leg, steel staircase leads downstairs to three bedrooms and a family room leading to a usable, terraced rear yard on grade.