While undergoing an extensive remodel of their existing house, and complete re-imagining of all their outdoor spaces, this family decided to add a guest house / ADU to the property.
The hilltop site offers stunning views west to the SF South Bay and East Bay Hills beyond. The challenge was to add a 900 SF accessory dwelling without distracting from that generous panorama. The solution was to nestle it into the hillside and angle it so that it almost disappears when viewed from the house. We analyzed view angles from the house and from the ADU out to the Bay. We bent the floor plan to follow the curve of the hillside and to separate private spaces on the left from the public gathering spaces on the right, where multifold doors in the living area open up to create an uninterrupted and fluid indoor/outdoor experience. The cycle of the day is reflected in the plan: You sleep huddled back in the hillside, with the landscape rising up even at the windows. As you pass through the bath area, then into the kitchen and living areas, the landscape drops away, the view opens up, and the planted roof rises up to embrace the sky. |