TREE HOUSE

THIS SITE-SPECIFIC INFILL PROJECT IS SET ON A HILLSIDE PROPERTY SURROUNDED BY MULTI- AND SINGLE-FAMILY BUILDINGS OF VARYING SCALE AND CHARACTER. ON A SITE ZONED FOR MULTI-FAMILY YET PARTIALLY OCCUPIED BY AN EXISTING SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE, THE PROJECT ESTABLISHES A HYBRID TYPE; LEGALLY A TWO-UNIT CONDOMINIUM, FORMALLY TWO OVERLAPPING HOUSES.

THE MULTI-TIERED DESIGN OF THE NEW REAR HOUSE IS TAILORED TO A SPECIFIC HILLSIDE ZONING CODE’S MAXIMUM “THEORETICAL GRADE” WHICH RUNS WITH THE SLOPED GRADE. THE FLOOR AND DECK PLANES OF THE REAR HOUSE STEP UP THE SLOPED SITE PROVIDING CITY AND MOUNTAIN VIEWS FROM MULTIPLE LEVELS. WALLS AND FENESTRATION SUBTLY SHIFT IN REFERENCE TO THE NON-ORTHOGONAL SITE TO MAINTAIN PRIVACY AND CONTROL VIEWS BETWEEN NEIGHBORING STRUCTURES.

BY INCORPORATING THE EXISTING 10-FOOT TALL RETAINING WALL INTO THE SPLIT-LEVEL SYSTEM OF THE HOUSE THE PROJECT STITCHES THE SITE TOGETHER AND FULLY UTILIZES THE PREVIOUSLY INACCESSIBLE REAR THIRD OF THE SITE.

THE TREE HOUSE IS CONSTRUCTED AROUND THE MATURE CHINESE ELM TREE. EACH LEVEL OF THE HOUSE OFFERS DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES OF THE TREE; THE TRUNK RISING FROM THE ENTRY COURTYARD, THE ASCENDING BRANCH STRUCTURE AS ONE CLIMBS THROUGH THE STAIRWELL, THE CANOPY OF BRANCHES OVER THE STUDIO BALCONY, THE UPPERMOST LEAVES DAPPLING SUNLIGHT INTO THE LOFT.

WALLS, ROOF PLANES, BEAMS, RAILING AND FASCIA RUN CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH GLAZED OPENINGS, VISUALLY CONNECTING INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS OF WOOD, STONE AND METAL FURTHER TIE THE HOUSE TO NATURE AND IMBUE THE INTERIORS WITH A SENSE OF CALM.