This AIA award-winning Sonoma residence reinterprets the wonderful spaces of the original Spanish haciendas of Mission-Era California using a truly modern vocabulary. Situated in the Valley of the Moon between the historic Sonoma Plaza to the southeast and Jack London's former estate to the west, this house adopts the courtyard model popularized in the early architecture of the area.
Our longstanding relationship with the clients allowed for close collaboration on the project. We previously renovated their San Francisco home, and after the success of the project, they returned to us to design a wine country retreat to accommodate their two kids and large extended family. They chose a 3-acre site within a 37-acre parcel of dedicated open space. The secluded property is surrounded by native oaks and redwoods.
The home’s interior space is complemented by 5,600 square feet of outdoor space, including the courtyard and a bocce court; there is also a saltwater lap pool with an integrated hot tub. The home is laid out so that it functions equally well if it’s just being used by the immediate family but is also able to expand with ease. The main volume contains an open kitchen/living/dining room and adjoining kids’ bedroom, which doubles as flex space. The master suite is upstairs. To accommodate relatives, a separate L-shaped wing contains additional bedrooms as well as the family room.
To blend in with the gray bark of the surrounding oaks, the house is clad in Alaskan yellow cedar, a durable, low-maintenance wood that weathers over time to a light gray. To highlight the different parts of the house, the two-story volume has horizontal siding, while the one-story portion has vertical siding.
Earning a LEED Silver designation, the house uses the oldest of methods to conserve energy through overhangs and siting to capture the prevalent valley breezes, while also utilizing the latest in technology to generate electricity, and hot water. For the owners, the house will serve as a sustainable family retreat for decades to come.
