Meadow House

The brief from our clients – a multigenerational family with business ties to their native Korea – outlined a Californian home with a Korean heart. Exploring these influences revealed many similarities, all of which can be seen throughout Meadow House, from the fluidity of indoor-outdoor spaces and deep terraces surrounding parts of the home, to the abundance of natural light that is overt in some places and tempered in others.

90 percent of the Preserve is protected by a Conservation Trust, there are only a few hundred dwellings within this vast landscape. Those privileged enough to build must follow strict design guidelines to protect the natural ecologies and inherent beauty of this place. Tree and plant species must be left untouched, and any built contribution must be predominantly undetectable from roads and trails.

Siting the home within the meadow was complex and our response is defined by a Z-shaped form which follows the contours of the land, reaching out in some places and yielding in others. The gently sloping topography and dense oak canopies work together to conceal the residence from passers-by, and the weathering steel and cedar screening approximates the colors of the natural environment, dissolving the boundaries between built form and landscape.

Our clients wanted to conduct business at home; entertain large groups of people – both for work and personal purposes; and host family members for long and short stays. Our response allows for a residence that is simultaneously generous and intimate. The sense of volume is palpable with wide corridors and sweepings ramps (our dignified response to accessibility requirements and the clients’ wish to age in place) yet private areas are noticeably quieter. Finally, views are omnipresent, and a palette of Italian bluestone, white oak, cedar, quartz and stainless steel brings depth to the internal experience.

Main Residence: 7354 s.f.
Garage & Guesthouse: 2395 s.f.
Lot area: 3.86 acres
Homeland area (buildable zone): 1.0 acres