Small House in an Olive Grove, Sonoma, California by Cooper Joseph Studio designed using Vectorworks

Article source: Cooper Joseph Studio

At 850 square-feet, this one-bedroom house on a steep Sonoma hillside has unusual presence. On the outside, it features heroic, modern facades and boldly dynamic forms. The interior, by contrast is playful, allowing for intriguing interpenetrations of space and volume. Grand gestures are balanced by intimate moments. Giant panes of glass afford views north to rolling vineyards, while to the south, glimpses to specific landscapes are shielded from warm southern light.

Night view (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

• Architect: Cooper Joseph Studio
• Name of Project: Small House in an Olive Grove
• Location: Sonoma, California
• Photos credit: Elliott Kaufman Photography
• Credit  of Plans and Sections: Cooper Joseph Studio
• Software/Hardware used: MAC based office. Used Vectorworks for this particular project in conjunction with many, many, physical models.

The residential vocabulary has a reduced palette of natural materials and color all anchored literally and figuratively off an 8”- wide, poured-in-place concrete wall. Cloaked in zinc panels, each corner condition, glass-on-glass or opaque is detailed flush with perfect alignments and reveals that allow for movement (the house is in an epi-center of earthquake activity) without compromising the sculptural, abstract nature of assembly. Given such a small structure, the exterior decks take on importance for the Owner. Here we use a series of splaying concrete retaining walls to embrace the slope and address the contours. Stepping down the hill, there are areas to dine or take in views.

Bedroom overall (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

The interior features stained oak, limestone floors and bathrooms, and eco-resin panels. Built-in furniture and cabinetry follows the same strict soft coloration, but the soft goods and incidental elements give bursts of color that are in dialogue with creeping rosemary ground cover, dry earthy tones and the adjacent olive groves.

Detail at deck (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

Front straight on (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

Kitchen from below (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

Living looking in (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

Living looking out (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

Side view (Images Courtesy Elliott Kaufman Photography)

Tags: California, Sonoma

Categories: House, Residential, Vectorworks

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