Sagarino/ McGill ResidenceCustom Home
This is a 6,400 s.f. home located in the Fremont foothills. A
major design issue was how to deal with a 60 foot wide easement for an
underground aqueduct and communication lines that straddled the side
property line. This effectively made the buildable area of the lot 30
ft. narrower. The program requirement of a three car garage
would have created a street façade dominated by garage doors. Our
inspiration was to take the driveway up along the easement and make it
turn inward toward the house, transitioning to a partially enclosed auto
court. The court is hidden from street view and doubles as outdoor
party space. It accommodates four garages. This leaves the
front façade available for a circular driveway and a dramatic
gazebo-like entry with specially designed custom glass doors by EBA.
The slope occurred diagonally across the site so the house followed the
slope, stair stepping up the hill. This was also a design opportunity
for us to put the living areas on the high side of the property to take
advantage of the bay views.