BUENA VISTA HOUSE | RANGR STUDIO ARCHITECTURE

Following the firm’s design philosophy of finding design solutions between landscape, climate and client needs, Rangr Studio’s second house located in the Berkeley Hills followed the same design strategies as its first: take advantage of the sunny yet chilly microclimate to maximize solar heat gain, and provide direct cross-ventilation to allow the dry air to cool the trapped heat — creating living spaces that are open to the outside air all year-around. At the same time, the clients requested a house in which they could enjoy their retirement, which led to a zero-threshold upper floor containing an entry space, main bedroom suite, and kitchen, dining and living space, all directly accessible from the driveway and the garage. The upper floor was placed in direct relationship to the street, for easy access, but the lower floors, containing the clients’ study spaces (one is a recently retired accomplished academic, both are PhDs), and guest rooms for visiting children & future grandchildren, had to address the topography that sloped at an angle from the street boundary. Hence, the geometry of the lower levels aligns with the contours of the site, while the upper level aligns with the street. The opportunity of two different orthogonal geometries allowed the creation of a dynamic interaction between the living space and the deck — while the window wall of the living space faces the Marin headlands, the deck perimeter faces San Fransisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. The complimentary angles of the finished form expand the view across the San Fransisco Bay. 

Photography: MATTHEW MILLMAN 

Website: https://www.matthewmillman.com/