ME-KWA-MOOKS NET-ZERO

The existing house suffered from three ill-conceived additions and remodels. The design opportunities and issues were plenty. The house was difficult if not dangerous to access via the driveway which was steep and lacked turnaround space. This prompted visitors to climb a street-side circular stair to arrive at either a questionable entry door or continue up another flight of stairs. Once inside, the spaces were fragmented and did not take sufficient advantage of their surroundings views or adjacencies.  

The clients were adventurous and willing to explore design solutions rooted in their experiences. Having lived in Japan they enjoyed both traditional and contemporary design elements, from the concept of the tea room to Studio Ghibli to contemporary Japanese architecture. They sought a balance of old and new, crafted and minimal. Both had been professional circus performers, bearing an affinity for open, dynamic spaces. What the clients desired was not more space, but better designed space–to live in rooms engaged with one another and to the outdoors.  

The solution was informed by designing around the central hearth and by reducing the jumbled exterior form of the house into two integrally linked volumes. The exterior relationship was carried into the interior, so the form is present both outside and inside the home. The result is a clearly legible exterior while on the inside the space is very dynamic, with volumes linked together through views and circulation.