This upsloping lot is bordered to the north by Mill Valley open space and to the east and west by neighboring houses. The existing one-story house did not take advantage of the upper rear yard bench in the topography, which borders the open space. The views from this bench area and neighbor privacy drastically improve with elevation out of the valley.
Therefore, we proposed a two-story house with the major programmatic elements on the upper floor. This placement allows for outdoor living spaces on the natural bench to the north and a roof deck to capture the cross-valley views to the south.
Building materials include dark-colored concrete Richlite and reclaimed cedar screens with fluted wood accents. The goal was to use a minimal amount of wood for sustainable and fire protection purposes. Simple forms don’t allow floating embers to embed in the crevices. The driveway is improved with a fire truck turnaround.
