Adjacent to an abandoned quarry, the Watershed House takes full advantage of a steep hillside property in the Napa Valley. The site-specific design is located on the only buildable spot within the available setback due to planning regulations. Conceived as three cascading roofs set harmoniously in the landscape, each of the volume is rotated to optimize for views toward Mount Tamalpais. A series of site-cast pavers and a small reclaimed redwood bridge takes you up to the front door. The landscaping consists of live oaks, manzanita, madrones, and other native California drought-tolerant vegetations.
A steel-and-glass enclosed living space bridges across a natural gully and connect two solid masonry volumes designed for work and rest. The volumes feature a new building product – Watershed Block – CMU with the appearance of rammed earth and half the cement content. Made locally from a factory less than 3-miles away from the project site, the blocks also contain recycled rocks from a local Napa gravel yard. At ground level, one-quarter of the earth blocks are rotated as headers to connect the double wythe and to retain against the hill side. On the upper level, a creative block pattern mixing 4” and 6” blocks emerged due to structural necessity. Minimalist detailing elevates the simple material palette of earth block, wood, glass, and steel.
Passive cooling strategy is used to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature in the summer. Thermal mass inherent in the Watershed Blocks is utilized to delay midday heat gain, while cross ventilation at night time flushes the structure. Radiant in-floor heating provides warmth in the winter months. Strategically placed windows puncture the masonry volumes and frames the landscape while maintaining privacy. Daylighting is incorporated and cross ventilation encouraged via a band of operable clerestory windows. The clerestory window creates a separation between the masonry walls and the roof, giving it the appearance of floating effortlessly. Large sliding doors and reclaimed redwood flooring extending beyond the living space blends indoor and outdoors living on an otherwise challenging site.
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