Vidalakis Residence in California by Swatt | Miers Architects

Article source: Swatt | Miers Architects

This distinctive residence was designed as a piece of inhabitable art for its owner, an avid collector of colorful and unique works. Featuring three stepped-back stories linked by a grand mahogany staircase and a double-height glass pavilion overlooking the semi-rural landscape on three sides, this gallery home is a piece of sculpture in its own right.

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

• Architects: Swatt | Miers Architects
• Project: Vidalakis Residence
• Location: California, USA

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

The client had contemplated building her dream house for years before finding the perfect site in Portola Valley, a semi-rural enclave on the peninsula south of San Francisco. The 3.8-acre site is a beautiful, gently sloping parcel, with mature oak, cedar and pine trees sufficiently dense to provide privacy from neighboring houses yet open enough to afford beautiful views of the surrounding hills as well as of distant San Francisco. Her design requirements included open planning for interior spaces, zoning of functions to provide a clear separation between public and private spaces, maximization of views to San Francisco to the north, and a strong, symbiotic relationship between building and landscape. However, as an avid collector, her main design to live in a house that was itself a work of art.

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

The resulting design is based on an L-shaped plan, anchored by a three-story, linear cast-in-place concrete wall that projects into the landscape to frame outdoor spaces on both sides of the house. Main public functions are housed on the lower level, while the master suite and a home office are located on the floors above. The short leg includes a one-story home office and a detached garaged and guesthouse. The plan organization creates two major outdoor areas: a private landscaped courtyard on the south side, and a more public viewing terrace for entertaining on the north. Perpendicular to the house and topography, a 75-foot linear swimming pool, linear wood deck, and rectangular lawn define the western edge of the immediate landscape with precise geometry, while a gently flopping meadow of tufted pink muhly grass creates a quiet and serene landscape adjacent to the entry.

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

A stand-alone art studio pavilion is located to the east of the main house, on direct axis with the main entrance. Placed on the east side of a cast-in-place concrete wall, this pavilion is virtually invisible as it appears to simply be a background for art.

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

The architectural language is simple, almost elemental. Horizontal wood planes from the floors and roofs, in counterpoint to the vertical cast-in-place concrete core, and are in-filled with full-height glazing to maximize views. A rhythmic three-story window wall defines the circulation spine and stair, and forms one edge of a private landscaped courtyard on the south side of the house. The main living space, two stories high and almost entirely transparent with views in three directions, is a glass pavilion that is immersed in its natural setting during the day and glows like a jewel at night. Build of natural materials, this new modern home is assertive in its formal expression as it simultaneously reaches out to and embraces the natural landscape.

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Image Courtesy © Swatt | Miers Architects

Tags: California, USA

Categories: House, Residential

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