Stein Architects

Oakland 2 Residence
Oakland, California

This house was designed for an older couple who wanted a home based on ADA standards.  A central vertical circulation system complete with elevator allows for a totally accessible path of travel into and throughout the house.

The site is a downslope with views to the hills and San Francisco Bay.  The design is horizontally expressed so that the plan terraces down the hillside, taking advantage of the views.  The house is a series of horizontal extensions of the hillside, becoming a series of carved boxes expressed in different claddings of stucco and wood that break down the mass and bulk of the home.  The lowest level is a library for the Owners’ valuable Judaica book collection.