Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026
Archello Awards 2026 · Enter your projects before 30 September 2026
C-Through House
Mariko Reed

C-Through House

Conceived of as a C-shaped house with a small private courtyard and a large private rear yard, this new house maximizes the floor area available to build on this smaller Palo Alto lot. An Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) integrated into the main structure gave a floor area bonus. For now, it will be used for visiting relatives. One challenge of this design was keeping a low profile and proportional design while still meeting the FEMA flood plain requirement that the finished floor start about 3′ above grade.

photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed
photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed
photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed

The new house has four bedrooms (including the attached ADU), a separate family room with a window seat, a music room, a prayer room, and a large living space that opens to the private small courtyard as well as a large covered patio at the rear. Mature trees around the perimeter of the lot were preserved, and new ones planted, for private indoor-outdoor living.

photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed
photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed
photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed

Team:

Architects: Klopf Architecture

KA Project Team: John Klopf, AIA, Angela Todorova, Lucie Danigo
Structural Engineer: ZFA Structural Engineers
Landscape Architect: Outer Space Landscape Architects
Contractor: Coast to Coast Development
Photography: Mariko Reed

photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed
photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed
photo_credit Mariko Reed
Mariko Reed
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