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Houzz Tour: Stunning Berkeley Courtyard House
Glassed-in walkways, courtyards and views link a contemporary California home's three structures to their setting
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
Berkeley, California is home to the University of California, but many of the hills that define the community are also the setting for single-family houses taking advantage of the stunning views of the San Francisco Bay to the west. Such is the case with this house located in the Berkeley Hills. The aptly named Berkeley Courtyard House opens itself up to the bay views while also creating an intimate outdoor setting of its own. Let's take a tour of the house, outside and inside, to discover the qualities that make it one with its immediate and distant site.
More: Light and Private Courtyard Houses
More: Light and Private Courtyard Houses
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| Designed by local architect David S. Wilson of WA Design for a recently retired couple from the East Coast, the house is separated into three buildings linked by walkways. The approach to the house is from the road to the west, up the driveway that ends in one of the structures: a three-car garage with a studio on the second floor. (In this photo the garage is out of sight, behind us and to the left.) Here we see the other two buildings as we glance westward: On the left are the living areas, and on the right are the sleeping rooms. |
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| In this photo we are looking to the north and the building that houses the bedrooms as well as a library. Next to the glazed walkway is a stair that bumps out into the courtyard. Both of these buildings face each other with metal facades, creating what Wilson calls a "zinc canyon." In this space are two pools, or what can be seen as one long pool split by the walkway. The long pool points west and reinforces a link with the distant waterway. |
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A closeup of the long water feature from the living pavilion makes its westward directionality clear. It also indicates how the pool splits this portion of the courtyard into two, and how the stilts supporting the roof are an important part of the design, as we'll see. The simple paving, perpendicular to the pool, links the two buildings even as the linear pool separates them.
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| Looking northeast from the driveway, we can see how the house opens itself up to the west with larger expanses of glass and a wraparound balcony at the master bedroom. Roof extensions cut down on the summer sun, but they also serve — with the skinny columns, especially — to create a porous frame that makes the separation between indoor and outdoor space less distinct. These extensions "provide protected exterior circulation and ample surface area for the extensive photo-voltaic arrays that power the house," says Wilson. |
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| Looking straight east, we can see how the landscape between the road and the house is terraced to follow the slope. The native grasses are a nice contrast with the Corten steel edging, the pool that gets taller as it moves to the west, and the zinc-and-stucco-clad structures. Note how the angle of the column at left is echoed in the north wall of that building and the part of the living pavilion across the way. |
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| Our move inside the house starts at the front door, on the south side of the living pavilion, adjacent to the driveway. A zinc door with custom cutouts is at right, leading to the outdoor walkway linked with the garage. Both this door and the entry door hint at the zinc on the courtyard side of the house. Here the house is covered with stucco, though the concrete wall at right helps merge outside and inside. Note the small bit of stair visible in the upper left corner. |
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| Now looking back at the entrance, 180 degrees from the previous photo, the stair that we glanced from outside sits prominently next to a gray wall with various cutouts. This stair leads to the only upstairs space in the living pavilion, a loft that sits over the entry and looks towards the courtyard. The entry and stair sit in the middle of the plan, separating it into living/dining (right) and kitchen/service (left). |
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In this view of the staircase across the courtyard, we can see the walkway that leads back to the living pavilion, an undulating pattern in the floor. This photo is a bit misleading, since it's black and white, but the stair is similar to the entrance stair in the way it's detailed: wood treads, open risers, steel stringers.
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Back in the living pavilion, here we are looking north from the kitchen. The variety of windows and glazing is exceptional: large windows with both clear and frosted glass, and a skinny window that wraps itself into a skylight. This makes for tricky cabinetwork, but Wilson thoughtfully started the windows at the height of the counters.
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| This view of the kitchen to the east shows a double-door leading to the courtyard that is formed by the living pavilion and the garage. In the foreground is a skinny column that links the interior with the overhangs and structure outside. This single column is but one part of the overarching structure of the house, which extends to the bands of Corten planters, courtyard paving, and of course the columns. |
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Our last shot of the house is the master bathroom, which displays the same complexity of the kitchen. A skinny window wrapping into a skylight is also present here. These touches link the spaces, even though they are found in separate structures.
Wilson has designed a house that is an impressive assemblage that is cohesive in its treatment of elements both big and small.
More: See another house by this firm
More inspiring architecture
Wilson has designed a house that is an impressive assemblage that is cohesive in its treatment of elements both big and small.
More: See another house by this firm
More inspiring architecture
Ideabook published on Dec. 12, 2011.
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