Redwood House
The project is a renovation of a 1974 two-story house designed by prominent San Francisco architect Albert Lanier (husband of Ruth Asawa). Each level is framed by exterior courtyards which provide both sheltered intimacy with nature and visual connection to the city beyond. The owners were interested in increasing the volume of the house while maintaining its original DNA as defined by angular geometries, redwood interiors and exterior courtyards.
Featured in: New York Times, Metropolis, Dwell, AD Italia, Est Living
“We feel so fortunate and relieved to have hired Studio Terpeluk for our house renovation.
Private home renovations are always challenging, especially when the house has some architectural provenance, as ours is, which demands a mature and well-versed artist who is also technically strong. We found this and more in Brett. He is very talented, has superb training and rich experiences, which his humble and down-to-earth persona belies. Brett and his team are excellent listeners who respond to our needs with creative, thorough, thoughtful and elegant solutions. There are no weird, impractical, bloated gestures driven by ulterior motives.
Our goal for the house was to bring it to contemporary standards and meet our needs, but our dream was to add to the uniqueness, beauty and honesty of the house, making it better. Brett and his team have given the house a rebirth, without sacrificing the integrity and soul of the house.
Synchronicity between the architect and client is so critical in a long, often difficult process. We feel very fortunate that we have this with Brett and Studio Terpeluk. Brett not only presented beautiful solutions, but he prodded and guided us to make good decisions and be better educated clients.
We highly recommend Studio Terpeluk, and cannot wait to see the realization of our house reborn!”
Gagan and Jasmin - Owners
Our approach was to expand and surgically modify the house in an architecturally non-aggressive manner. Spaces were opened up and flow and views were maximized. Color, texture, light and vegetation were used to harmonize with the vintage redwood tonalities and the owners’ eclecticism.
Dark-knotted douglas fir flooring, fabricated from locally reclaimed pier pilings, was used throughout the house to balance the dark redwood living level with the lighter-hued floors below. The sculptural blackened steel stair anchors the house, weaving together the floors and their diverse spatial character. Hard materials including terrazzo, concrete and mottled gray marble were used to counterbalance the warm softwoods. The house façades and cascading courtyards were reclad in irregular western red cedar planks.
We collaborated with our friend and designer Beatrice Santiccioli to create a color language that expresses a natural interaction with the light and materials in the environment, transitioning from bold to atmospheric as you pass downward through the house. Italian landscape designer Monica Viarengo designed the outdoor areas including the intimate entry courtyard and the terraced back garden with expansive views of the city. Her work shifts from curated to wild as your move through the property.
Team
Architect: Studio Terpeluk
Interiors/Lighting: Studio Terpeluk
Landscape Design: Monica Viarengo Landscape Design
Color Consultant: Beatrice Santiccioli Design
Interior Decoration: Owners
Structural Engineering: Strandberg Engineering
General Contractor: Saturn Construction
Photo Credits: Joe Fletcher