Located on a 38-acre, ridge-top parcel stippled with live oaks, redwoods, bay laurel, and madrone that soars above the vineyards below, this estate, dubbed Whispering Stones, was commissioned by sophisticated and astute admirers of modern design, who value their responsibility as stewards and protectors of this land.
To realize their mandate to neither harm nor fell existing trees, Swatt + Partners began at the entrance to the property, designing the sinuous 2/3 mile long drive from the road to the residence for minimal to no impact. The exposed board-formed concrete retaining walls follow the existing topography and vegetation and protect numerous existing tree root systems.
The three-level, 8,500-square-foot residence straddles the dominant ridge and treads lightly over the natural, undisturbed topography. Shaded terraces directly engage the land, while an existing oak is left to pass through a roof opening in a pointed declaration of the continuity of building and ecosystem. Designed with multiple exposures of floor-to-ceiling natural light, the elegant and gracious interior spaces provide transparency and provide human interaction to the land through strong indoor-outdoor connections.
Centered in the linear arrangement of spaces, the glass bridge above the entry and a sculptural “Braille” wall compresses the volume between the entrance and the kitchen and living areas. Precise, rectilinear geometry in bold horizontal strokes is a sharp contrast to the undulating and native landscape. Throughout, the materiality also provides a similar contrast: concrete, glass, stainless steel, aluminum trellises, and Western Red Cedar siding are detailed and crafted with clarity; a sharp counterpoint to the surrounding grasses and twisted trunks of oak.
Swatt + Partners achieved a sense of well-being with responsibly sourced materials and thoughtful design strategies. These passive strategies, which allow for cross ventilation, uniform daylighting, solar exposure modulation, and temperature modulation, are augmented by photovoltaic panel arrays and water conservation measures, including water efficient and water conserving plumbing fixtures and fittings.
All landscaping is primarily native or drought tolerant and, where needed, automatic irrigation controllers supplied by a site well and storage system limit water use until native plantings are self-sustaining and established. Given the wildfire activity in the stunning region where the estate is located, provisions to suppress fire spread were installed. From the building roof, mobile tanks of an environmentally compatible and water soluble compound can be deployed to retard fire and flame spread to the structure and the surrounding vegetation.
With Whispering Stones, Swatt + Partners has masterfully created a new architecture and design narrative for modern luxury living within the wine country.
