Madrone Ridge, a tributary of the Russian River, dominates and becomes a vital life force for all plant and wildlife in its corner of Sonoma Valley in California. It is in this rich environment that Jess Field of Field Architecture was called upon to create a house for a private client. And it is this relationship, the strong presence of the fresh water element that flows through the site, and its deep impact on nature and life –both human and beyond – that determined the design solution in this contemporary home.
Madrone Ridge
'At the owners’ request, we created this residence to deepen their relationship to the land through the cycle of the seasons. During a trip to Africa, the owners had been profoundly moved by the relationship between the human habitat and the wild. With that experience in mind, they wanted to recreate the same sensation, as they co-habitated with the plants and animals on this property,' says the architect.
He continues: 'Instead of drawing from architectural precedents in Sonoma County, or agrarian references from the valley, we looked to the bush – those forested, undeveloped areas of nature that surround the house – while allowing the built structures to adapt to the natural terrain. By simultaneously folding the house inward on itself and reaching outward to the land, we established a homestead in a transitional space that sustains human activity as well as wildlife.'
The result is an unmistakably modern house, geometric and carefully calculated. It is however nestled among existing mature trees, open to nature through openings and outdoors areas, zigzagging between open air and enclosed spaces that accommodate the existing flora and fauna, allowing it to thrive.
The main house is located within two low pavilions defined by their angled roofs, connected by a glazed element. In here, a sense of space prevails, with cooking, cleaning and storage integrated into the vertical surfaces of the rooms to free up the interior. A third, two-storey pavilion set slightly apart contains bedrooms and an office.
Copper cladding partly covers the exterior walls, giving it its distinct character amid the natural surroundings. At the same time, as the material will weather and age over time, it will embed itself on site and slowly become an integral part of the landscape.
-
‘Very Roman, very Bulgari’: Mary Katrantzou on the ancient roots of her opulent first accessories collection for BulgariGreek fashion designer Mary Katrantzou, Bulgari’s new creative director of leather goods and accessories, breaks down her debut ‘Calla’ collection for Wallpaper*
-
First look: Western Mongolia meets Kew Gardens in John Pawson and Oyuna Tserendorj’s cashmere throwsArchitectural designer John Pawson and cashmere designer Oyuna Tserendor have collaborated on a cashmere throw collection inspired by Pawson’s 70m Lake Crossing in the Royal Botanical Gardens
-
How to buy art: the accessible new marketThanks to a growing pool of art advisers, digital intelligence and collector groups, buyers are better equipped than ever
-
Paul Rudolph at The Met: ‘from Christmas lights to megastructures’‘Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph’ opens at the Met in New York, exploring the modernist master's work through a feast of an exhibition
-
Jewel Box is a Californian project of small scale and big impactJewel Box by Red Dot Studio is the reimagining of a Californian 20th-century gem through a creative addition
-
Germane Barnes exhibition explores notions of classical architecture and identityGermane Barnes exhibition 'Columnar Disorder' opens at the Art Institute of Chicago
-
Omaha’s Joslyn Art Museum's newest addition effortlessly complements the institution’s existing complexThe third addition to Joslyn Art Museum is designed by Snøhetta, which opted for voluminous common spaces and illuminating atriums
-
Morning Dove in Twentynine Palms combines earth construction and otherworldly desert viewsMorning Dove by Homestead Modern in Twentynine Palms offers a striking landscape and rammed-earth construction for idyllic desert escapes
-
Larry Booth's 'House of Light' showcases an impeccable slice of postmodernist heritageA 1980s Larry Booth-designed Chicago townhouse on a narrow plot is a striking example of his author's work, set alongside the city’s postmodernist archive
-
In a hidden Beverly Hills garden courtyard, fashion, art and architecture meetJohnston Marklee transforms a Beverly Hills storefront into a shared space for the Michael Werner art gallery and fashion institution Mameg, connected through a leafy courtyard
-
Transamerica Pyramid: a San Francisco icon, remasteredThe Transamerica Pyramid, a landmark in the San Francisco cityscape, has been redesigned to 21st-century standards by Foster + Partners
