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Capturing Light
Capturing Light
San Francisco, CA, United States
Finalist, 2025 A+Awards, Concepts - Architecture +Light
Project Featured on Aug 07, 2025
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Other Projects by Min Design
Capturing Light
San Francisco, CA, United States
Finalist, 2025 A+Awards, Concepts - Architecture +Light
Project Featured on Aug 07, 2025
Firm
Type
STATUS
Built
YEAR
2023
SIZE
5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft
Conceived as a contemplative refuge in the city, this house is an exploration of light, controlled views, textures, and shadow. Light is artfully manipulated to create private and intimate moments that transform and delight throughout the day into night. Direct, indirect, reflected, and borrowed lighting effects were achieved while maintaining a sense of privacy and intimacy throughout the house.
With dense plans, the section offered the opportunity to carve daylight pathways through the house to create surprising and poetic effects. The 4-story stair is a single space in the project, where all four floors could be perceived with partial open risers. A small clerestory hidden in folded planes reveals a view of the sky, ushering light through the 4-story stairway.
WIth a limited building envelope of only east and west exposures, many of the home’s spaces are located below grade, providing both another challenge and opportunity for capturing daylight. Located underground, the primary bedroom suite is daylit by the adjacent sunken courtyard, housing the outdoor spa. Partially covered, crafted openings animate the terrace with changing light and shadows throughout the day, and color-changing LEDs at night. A meditative space at the top level of the home is softly illuminated from a precisely sculpted ceiling that casts indirect light on the textured plaster walls, creating a delicate play of light and shadow in the room.
Elemental materials of gyp board, cypress, doug fir, white oak, steel, Japanese plaster, plywood, concrete, custom terrazzo, and flamed basalt, alongside a minimal color palette are utilized in service of light as the primary material and focus of the house. The play of light and shadow continues with interior shutters to direct light and view. Captured and folded light creates dynamic effects in this serene home.
With dense plans, the section offered the opportunity to carve daylight pathways through the house to create surprising and poetic effects. The 4-story stair is a single space in the project, where all four floors could be perceived with partial open risers. A small clerestory hidden in folded planes reveals a view of the sky, ushering light through the 4-story stairway.
WIth a limited building envelope of only east and west exposures, many of the home’s spaces are located below grade, providing both another challenge and opportunity for capturing daylight. Located underground, the primary bedroom suite is daylit by the adjacent sunken courtyard, housing the outdoor spa. Partially covered, crafted openings animate the terrace with changing light and shadows throughout the day, and color-changing LEDs at night. A meditative space at the top level of the home is softly illuminated from a precisely sculpted ceiling that casts indirect light on the textured plaster walls, creating a delicate play of light and shadow in the room.
Elemental materials of gyp board, cypress, doug fir, white oak, steel, Japanese plaster, plywood, concrete, custom terrazzo, and flamed basalt, alongside a minimal color palette are utilized in service of light as the primary material and focus of the house. The play of light and shadow continues with interior shutters to direct light and view. Captured and folded light creates dynamic effects in this serene home.
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