The Shotwell Residence is located in the Mission Gulch neighborhood of San Francisco. Among its many incarnations, it served as a 1900s dry cleaner and a wartime ammunition depot. More recently, it was a music studio hosting the likes of Bay Area musicians Faith No More and Courtney Love.

The project site included three separate existing buildings: two concrete structures up front, and a rear structure consisting of concrete block, terra cotta block and wood frame. The client, a software designer, wanted to complete the transition to a private residence by modifying existing forms. The middle concrete structure was cut in half to open up an outdoor dining/studio space facing a central yard. The rear residence was completely remodeled, keeping the existing corrugated siding on the façade and adding doors off the bedroom to the yard.

The project is tied together by natural cedar siding, which will fade to grey over time, blending into three different shades of grey with the existing concrete and metal siding. The project takes advantage of the natural light and shadows of the site orientation, while using new strategies for lighting to enhance the structures at night.

Material Used :

1. Tight knot cedar cladding