San Francisco Residence
San Francisco, California
This house is located in the Pacific Heights area of San Francisco. It was built on a vacant lot and commands sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay from Oakland to the Golden Gate. The house is organized around a circulation pattern that clearly defines and separates public and private spaces. Four floors of activities place an in-law unit above the garage, a study above the in-law unit, living and dining spaces above that level, and finally a bedroom at the upper level.
The street façade is the only exposure to the public. The vertical circulation element containing elevator and stairs is pushed to the front and forms a rounded buffer to the adjacent building. Horizontal elements, decks, and trellises spring off this vertical circulation, visually extending the building in the opposite direction. Bold white forms contrast the structure with adjacent residences built many years before construction of this home.