Residence_Version 3

Petaluma, California

Primary residence for owner's 5.8 acre rural site—Phase One of a Master Plan which would include additional detached buildings for studios, guests, and a barn/workshop.

The center of the property afforded the most ideal siting—for privacy, adjacency to a flowing creek, as well as views northeast to the Sonoma Mountains.  

The owner desired a modest-sized home of around 2,200 square feet net area.  Three bedrooms, two full baths, powder room (ideally), and small office spaces—two adults, two children.  Open plan for socially connected spaces of Living, Dining, and Kitchen.

Three alternatives were prepared for this house at various stages.

Version #3

Rather than attempt to scale back Version #2, this split-level alternative represented a fresh start with a clear focus and idea for simplifying the design in order to achieve the owner's maximum area requirement.  An entirely orthogonal floor plan made it possible to fully utilize every square foot.  Simplifications appeared in material and construction considerations as well—all in an effort to reduce cost at the same time.  Special concrete masonry units, stucco, and natural wood—as shown in previous versions—were eliminated in favor of a proprietary fiber-cement siding system—a combination of “V” joint and solid panels (as represented in the model) that was woven into the design process.