Project Details
- Project Name
- Small House in an Olive Grove
- Location
-
CA ,United States
- Project Types
- Custom
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Size
- 840 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2010
- Awards
- 2014 AIA - National Awards
- Shared by
- Rachel Barron
- Consultants
- Richardson Architects
- Project Status
- Built
- Cost
- $500
- Room or Space
- Outdoor
- Style
- Modern
Project Description
Builder's Choice and Custom Home Awards Finalist
The owners asked for an efficient, off-the-grid, house that would be one with their site. It is a "diamond in the rough," a precisely detailed modern structure on a rustic, agricultural farm.
The 850 square-foot structure is anchored to the steep hillside with a series of retaining walls and cascading exterior decks, each linked to an interior space. This act of at once embracing the hillside and relating inside and outside at every level is an ambitious concept for such a small house, and is also minimally intrusive to the natural topography. The circulation is directed to the views while the fenestration protects from the hot southern sun in favor of soft northern light.
The exterior is predominantly light-grey zinc expressed in horizontal panels with articulated reveals. Stained grey redwood is used for the sun screens, providing a unified and textured facade.
