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Houzz Tour: A California Home Designed by Nature
Bay Area's WA Design creates a stunning hillside home inspired by its unique building site
While many homes today are designed with their surrounding atmosphere in mind, most constructions require knocking down trees or leveling out hillsides — at least to some extent. But for this woodland site in the Santa Cruz Mountains, preserving the heritage oaks and winding creek was an absolute must.
The clients hired David Wilson and his team at WA Design to build a home that was inspired by the site's complex building footprint. To preserve the dense oak canopies, Wilson and his team built the house as a series of smaller pavilions, connected by glassed-in walkways. All of these structures twist and wind through the intricate oak grove. Not only does the home preserve the integrity of the site, but multiple aspects of the design also enhance the presence of the trees and the shape of the creek into the home's exterior and interior.
The clients hired David Wilson and his team at WA Design to build a home that was inspired by the site's complex building footprint. To preserve the dense oak canopies, Wilson and his team built the house as a series of smaller pavilions, connected by glassed-in walkways. All of these structures twist and wind through the intricate oak grove. Not only does the home preserve the integrity of the site, but multiple aspects of the design also enhance the presence of the trees and the shape of the creek into the home's exterior and interior.
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| Wilson used a palette of natural stones, metals, and dark woods in the kitchen. This dramatic and earthy palette is echoed throughout the house. The kitchen countertops are made of soapstone, and the cabinetry is custom made from sapele, an African tree reminiscent of mahogany. Wilson and his team installed a drop bronze soffit on the ceiling. Lighting and skylights make the metal glow throughout the day and night. The dark blue curved wall to the left was designed to separate the entry hall from the rest of the space. Wilson allowed the curve to extend into the floor, allowing it to continue separating the two spaces. |
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| This structure is one of five pavilions on the property — guest and pool house, kitchen and family room, living and dining room, and bedroom area. Each of these vaulted-roof structures are connected through various flat roof volumes. This particular pavilion contains the family room and the kitchen. The pool is visible just outside of the family room's sliding glass doors, beyond a series of dramatic custom lighting — a bold contrast with the warm bronze soffit. |
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| A living room and dining area are combined in another connected pavilion. An artistic chandelier hangs over a natural cut wood table. A small living room with a stone fireplace sits just around the corner. |
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A small wine cellar lies just beyond the edge of the dining table. Another curved bronze soffit hangs from this pavilion's ceiling. The curved shape and shaded effect is meant to echo the oak canopies outside. The bronze reflects the exterior gardens during the day and adds a warm glow at night.
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The master bedroom is located in the upstairs of another pavilion. Large custom wood windows give the room a treehouse feel. Wilson and his team wanted the home to combine a complex palette of materials and details, which is evident in the blend of the bronze fireplace, white walls, and wood windows in this room.
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| The master bathroom continues the theme of dramatic curved forms in the home's interior. This dark oval shape houses the closet for the master suite. |
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WA Design also created a unique freestanding staircase with glass treads, which sits inside the center of the home's main pavilion. "We wanted to incorporate fluidity into as many elements of this home as possible," says Wilson. "These clients were very engaged and really pushed us out of my comfort zone, which resulted in many unique elements."
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| White cement panel siding was chosen as a bright contrast to the deep shade under the dense oak canopy. Zinc standing-seam roofing was installed on each of the pavilion's curved roofs. "This home is very contemporary," says Wilson, "But we also incorporated elegant and refined detailing throughout the design." |
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| The pool, pool house, and patio are all situated on a slight slope. A set of stairs from the pool level flows down the slope and hits the grass playing field. Multiple courtyards and outdoor spaces connect the home's pavilions with the landscape. One of the glass walkways connecting the kitchen pavilion and the dining pavilion is visible in this shot. Together, the home's five pavilions offer 7,000 square feet of living space. |
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| Wilson and his team at WA Design also designed the landscaping on this site. The main goal was to create a low-maintenance look using as many native Californian plants as possible. In the end, the design evolved as a combination of many different grass types, which echoed the feel of the hillside site prior to construction. |
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| The grassy field from the prior shot is bordered by a curving granite walkway that mimics the edge of the creek bed. This stunning sculpture patio lies at the end of the path. Wilson designed this sculpture himself, lining up steel rods to echo the shape of the creek. Since the creek isn't really visible from most of the property, Wilson and his team really wanted to enhance its presence through the home's landscape. |
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Ideabook published on Nov. 30, 2011.
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all about show off.
it feels offensive for me as a humen being.
i would'nt be able stay there for more then few minuts.
They lost me at the staircase .
Please remember, that everyone has a right to there opinion, but often times those opinions should be kept private so that the expression of the opinion does not come across as insensitive or brash.
No soul! No feeling! Clean lines?Has nothing to do with traditional vs modern.. Who will live in this place? Certainly not a family, not children..The garden gives me a creepy feeling of sterility. ...Can you imagine Thanksgiving in this house...or any human celebration in this house? The only thing is missing is the surgical gloves...
It's hard edged and theoretical architecture. More of a showplace than a home. This can happen when you give the architects carte blanche. Definitely has the wow factor inside. The exterior is not wow, because of the block surface. The concrete could be textured, combed perhaps in a wood pattern.
That concrete garden says it all.
All houses, no matter what size they are, disrupt and damage Nature when they are built; clearcutting, tree felling and destruction, re-routing or termination of water ways, toxic materials and landfill waste, just to briefly touch on the subject! A 2000 sq. feet townhouse does not make your choice any better than a 7000 sq. foot luxury home.... there is a very large footprint to building high density housing projects, including all the paved driveways and patios. There are two sides to every coin!!
These comments are as fabulous as they are fascinating.....they are a perfect example of how mutual dualism exists in the world. In other words, two opposites that depend on each other to exist, such as day and night, low and high, bitter and sweet etc. I tend to agree with the Balinese who believe that the balance of this mutual dualism will bring prosperity and peacefulness to mankind, when we discover how to honour this. All things exist in the light of contrast, that is life's paradox and when we learn to respect one anothers' differences and not judge from a place of arrogance, hostility or disdain then our entire environment will change.