Designed for a ‘technology entrepreneur’ couple and their young twins, the home in the Mount Tamalpais shadows of Mill Valley, California is a modern composition in articulated form. The project was managed through an Owner-Builder approach whereby the ‘integrated technology’ (radiant heating, hydronic cooling, daylight controls and building management systems) was custom designed, engineered and contracted directly by the owner.
Located on a large wooded canyon site and sharing the land with a family of nesting red-tail hawks, this residence is designed to integrate into the landscape through cascading forms and natural materials. The exterior is a montage of natural wood, oxidized steel, and rich zinc panels blending with the surrounding foliage. The main feature of the house is an “observatory” for the nesting raptors in the tree above visible through the upper level roofs to connect the interior to the beautiful natural surroundings.