A young design-savvy couple called on the help of the local firm Schwartz and Architecture to envision their dream home; reimagining and restructuring a small Victorian Bungalow perched on a San Francisco slope.
Located on a narrow grid of 25-ft-wide lots, the bungalow challenged the architects to formulate a suitable solution to make the most out of the space restricted site. In the end, Schwartz opted for lifting the house up and adding three floors, enabling the addition of a slanted parking garage with space for two cars located directly underneath the property.
Schwartz’s space-saving tactic paved the way for a number of design decisions implemented throughout the home. The property’s unique ‘stadium’ stairwell was added to conceal the underlying garage’s ramp, and consequently created a secondary social seating space within the narrow living room.
‘This stair then became a leitmotif for the entire project,’ reflects lead architect Neal Schwartz. ‘We focused on a series of stairwells taking you from the lower garden level to the uppermost roof deck, treating each as sculptural objects and identifying the lowermost ones as a unified sequence through their material, rift-cut white oak.’
As per the client’s request to capture the essence of Californian living within the property, an austere and light collection of colours and materials were chosen to bring the outside atmosphere within the walls of the home. In the basement walnut adorns the ceiling, and the ground floor showcases a subtle and soft palate with context-sensitive details, such as the kitchen’s geometric tiles which were specially selected to reflect the colours of the outside greenery.
Due to the house’s dramatic restructuring of the interior programme, the ‘original’ street level now exists as the property’s second floor; the ground floor now hosting the kitchen; living room and outdoor deck and an extended barbeque area with the master bedroom situated on the second floor. Schwartz’s result is a seamless and unified living space which adheres to the small family’s wish for a private oasis in San Francisco's tightly squeezed urban landscape.
Whilst each living space is quite compact, the central meandering stairwell unites its adjoining spaces, visually and spatially, making the home appear much larger than it actually is
A subtle and soft palette was chosen to echo Californian living, featuring an array of context-sensitive details such as the geometric kitchen tiles, added to reflect the garden's rustling leaves
Schwartz opted for lifting the house and adding three floors giving the small family additional space, this also provided the home with two car parking spaces located directly underneath the property
Schwartz's selection of colours and refined materiality was intended to bring the outside environment within the walls of the home
The house which is situated on a 25-ft-wide lot, challenged the architects to find a number of viable space-saving solutions to utilise the home's limited floorspace
Due to the bungalow's dramatic restructuring, the home's ‘original’ street level now exists as the property’s second floor
The result, a seamless and unified living space which adheres to the family’s wish for a private oasis in San Francisco's tightly squeezed urban landscape
INFORMATION
For more information, visit Schwartz and Architecture's website
Photography: Bruce Damonte
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
Tour architect Paul Schweikher’s house, a Chicago midcentury masterpieceNow hidden in the Chicago suburbs, architect Paul Schweikher's former home and studio is an understated midcentury masterpiece; we explore it, revisiting a story from the Wallpaper* archives, first published in April 2009
-
The world of Bart Prince, where architecture is born from the inside outFor the Albuquerque architect Bart Prince, function trumps form, and all building starts from the inside out; we revisit a profile from the Wallpaper* archive, first published in April 2009
-
Is embracing nature the key to a more fire-resilient Los Angeles? These landscape architects think soFor some, an executive order issued by California governor Gavin Newsom does little to address the complexities of living within an urban-wildland interface
-
Hop on this Fire Island Pines tour, marking Pride Month and the start of the summerA Fire Island Pines tour through the work of architecture studio BOND is hosted by The American Institute of Architects New York in celebration of Pride Month; join the fun
-
A Laurel Canyon house shows off its midcentury architecture bonesWe step inside a refreshed modernist Laurel Canyon house, the family home of Annie Ritz and Daniel Rabin of And And And Studio
-
A refreshed Rockefeller Wing reopens with a bang at The Met in New YorkThe Met's Michael C Rockefeller Wing gets a refresh by Kulapat Yantrasast's WHY Architecture, bringing light, air and impact to the galleries devoted to arts from Africa, Oceania and the Ancient Americas
-
A Fire Island house for two sisters reimagines the beach home typologyCoughlin Scheel Architects’ Fire Island house is an exploration of an extended family retreat for the 21st century
-
PlayLab opens its Los Angeles base, blending workspace, library and shop in a new interiorCreative studio PlayLab opens its Los Angeles workspace and reveals plans to also open its archive to the public for the first time, revealing a dedicated space full of pop treasures
