In north California's Nicasio region, on a grassy plot of land enclosed by wild trees and winding hills, sits a family residence designed by San Francisco-based practice Schwartz and Architecture. Photography: Bruce Damonte
Crook Cup Bow Twist House by Schwartz and Architecture, USA
Crook Cup Bow Twist House by Schwartz and Architecture, USA
The home, quirkily dubbed the Crook Cup Bow Twist House (a reference to types of wood deformation), was largely designed as a response to the natural landscape around it
The client's desire was for a second home that would act as an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. The brief outlined a retreat that would offer quiet solitude, where the family could enjoy nature and use the house as a 'base camp for exploration'
Inside, the house features five bedrooms and generous open plan living and dining areas
The home is respectful to the surrounding land, featuring wood fittings, stone flooring and raw concrete throughout
The architects took cues from the wildness of the site, engaging with the land's natural formations and incorporating them into the house's orientation and organisation, offering sweeping views of the countryside from every room
The open plan living spaces lead out onto a decked terrace
The bedrooms are modestly decorated, with muted materials and colour palettes helping them blend into the wild
A bathroom, featuring contemporary fixtures, with a view to the hills and beyond
The entrance to the home features plenty of cleverly integrated storage space
Each part of the house is connected visually by generously sized windows
The house was arranged within two distinct, long and narrow volumes that follow the land's contours and are linked by an outdoor pool area. Embracing the site's original flora, Eucalyptus tree wood was used for the construction of the house's key external feature: the southwest-facing solar screen
The result is an impressive element that protects from the sun and at the same time pays homage to the role the site's natural elements had in the design. The striated wood cleverly personifies the area's character, while it crooks, cups, bows and twists, evolving over time as the timber ages
This striated pattern is echoed in architectural details around the home, such as in this slitted concrete bathroom wall, which allows natural light to filter in, while offering privacy