The owners of this residence wished to remodel and expand their existing earthquake cottage that had been added onto piecemeal over the years. Wanting to transform these awkwardly connected rooms into an open, harmonious space, the interior designer/owner sought an architect who'd work with his vision for the interior, expanding to a holistic vision for the overall project. Given the existing footprint covered much of the lot, the goal was tp make the most of the house's relationship to its unique site. The circulation for the site and house is a straight axis, interacting with the building’s forms as they ascend to the main entrance. Continuing at the interior, one’s experience along this axis is always anchored on the downhill end by Sutro Tower, and the uphill end by a magnificent Monterey cypress tree. The forms of the house nest with each other, highlighted by their material palette of cedar, standing seam metal, and cementitious panels. These forms, along with the interior palette, create rooms within a wide-open plan. The crescendo of forms occurs at the front, nodding to quintessential San Francisco vernacular. An inverted Bay window box cantilevers eight feet from the facade highlighting three experiences of the “urban forest”. Below is an exterior fire pit for the forest floor. Inside, the box frames a view of the “trunk” level. Above, a roof deck extends the living room, allowing an experience of the “canopy” level with the backdrop of that almost child-like expression of home, a gable.