Hillside Residence
Marin County, Calif.
Aidlin Darling Design

Japanese-inspired house appears to float above hillside

Courtesy Aidlin Darling Design

For more images click on 'photos & drawings' above.

Perched on a steep, east-facing hillside in Marin County, this residence is comprised of three simple components: a carport located at street level, a two-story house located above and away from the street, and an elevator tower that connects the two. Within this triad, the concrete elevator tower is the most critical component. On a pragmatic level, it enables universal accessibility; figuratively it functions as an anchor for the carport and house, which are like two steel structures floating above the hillside.

Out of reverence and respect for the environment, Aidlin Darling sought to minimize excavation and intervention wherever possible. Collaborating closely with the structural engineer, the geotechnical engineer, and the general contractor, they developed a repetitive, stacked steel-frame structure that can be quickly erected and will only touch the ground lightly. Retaining walls were incorporated only where absolutely needed.

In their design aesthetic, the architects were inspired by modern Japanese tea houses. They left structural steel exposed, its framework forming a taut rhythm of post and beam. The warm interior, surfaced primarily with Douglas fir, connects glittering bay views to the east and a garden to the west. The roof of the house lifts eastward, paying homage to the drama of the bay, while the western facade is composed of a series of caboose-like compartments that cantilever off the steel frame and provide storage space.

The client sought a flexible open plan in which they could spend their time researching, cooking, eating, listening to music, and gardening. The living and entertaining space of the house, as well as an adjacent private study and music room, open to a deck through two layers of translucent pivoting glass doors. By opening both sets of doors, the clients can connect the entire top floor and deck as one unified flowing space. The lower level contains sleeping and bathing areas.

Formal name of building:
Hillside Residence

Location:
Marin County, Calif.

Gross square footage:
3,200 sq. ft.

Architect:
Aidlin Darling Design
500 Third Street, Suite 410
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-974-5603 tel.
415-974-0849 fax
www.aidlin-darling-design.com

Team: Joshua Aidlin, David Darling, Michael Hennessey

Engineer
Structural:
Berkeley Structural Design
1411 Glendale Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94708
510-981-1016 tel.

Consultant
Landscape architect:
Blasen Landscape Architecture
2344 Marinship Way
Sausalito, CA 94965
415-332-5329 tel.
www.blasengardens.com

Photographer(s)
Model photographer:
Gerald Ratto
Gerald Ratto Photography
30 Lucerne Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-626-2010 tel.

Renderer(s)
Martin Cote
Triade Media
514-276-7277 tel.
martin@triademedia.ca

CAD system, project management, or other software used
Vectorworks www.nemetschek.net, SketchUp www.sketchup.com, Photoshop www.adobe.com