Whispering Stones

The Owners of this 38 acre site, sophisticated and astute admirers of modern design, value their responsibility as stewards and protectors of this land. Like each untouched tree and every unturned stone, this new 3 Bedroom home must not disrupt the continuity of this ecosystem, while providing elegant and gracious interior spaces with an abundance of natural light and strong indoor-outdoor connections.

SOLUTION

At the top of a gently sloping drive girded by sinuous board formed concrete retaining walls, Whispering Stones straddles the dominant East-West Ridge. The home and the surrounding site work, a cruciform parti anchored by a concrete stair tower, softly tiptoes around existing trees and above the natural topography; it disturbs little. The outstretched North-South primary building mass is at once grounded, then soaring and cantilevered above the land marking a datum to the uninterrupted sweep of valley below.

Three levels provide 8,500 SF of interior living space, while these same levels create shaded terraces below that directly engage the land.  Centered in the linear arrangement of spaces, the glass bridge above the Entry and a sculptural “Braille” wall compresses the volume between the entrance and the Kitchen and Living areas. Deep-finned windows, large horizontal roof extensions and trellises modulate the solar exposure and cast beautiful, ever changing shadows upon the building walls.

Precise, rectilinear geometry in bold horizontal strokes is a sharp contrast to the undulating and native landscape. The materiality also provides a similar contrast: concrete, glass, stainless steel, aluminum trellises and Western Red Cedar siding are detailed and crafted with clarity; a sharp counterpoint to the grasses and twisted trunks of Oaks.

The threat of California Wildfires, including the nearby Wallbridge Fire in 2020, prompted provisions for a Thermogel building and perimeter fire protection system which can be deployed to suppress fire spread. The Pool and Domestic Hot Water is augmented with roof mounted solar panels. Photovoltaic Solar arrays with battery backup systems provide supplemental power during municipal outages.