Tiburon House

The Tiburon Bay House is a 3,973 square foot, single-family residence in Tiburon, CA that was completed in December 2010. In 2007 Butler Armsden Architects was commissioned by the client to design a high-performance LEED Platinum house that would reflect the best in design and sustainability while adhering to a responsible budget. Conceptually and physically, the design of Tiburon House takes the form of a pinwheel: the floor plan gathers a series of rooms and exterior spaces around a vertical core, minimizing the run of mechanical, electrical and plumbing circulation and saving square footage. A bridge connects the site to the house, passes through the living room and remerges on the other side as an elevated terrace, enabling the home to connect land, sea and air. Tiburon Bay Kitchen The homeowners selected Henrybuilt for the kitchen and bath because of the company’s focus on craftsmanship and longevity (in addition to its use of green materials) as a means toward sustainability, as well as for the company’s warm, modernist aesthetic. Henrybuilt's kitchen system offers clients the engineering sophistication of the top European manufacturers with the craft quality of the best US millworkers. The Henrybuilt design team worked closely with the homeowners to create a highly functional layout that incorporated the view of the bay while connecting the space to the adjoining family room and dining area. A U-shaped design with a central island was developed to optimize movement and create dedicated spaces that would allow the busy family of four to engage in multiple activities at once – packing lunches, enjoying coffee etc. The design incorporates a tall volume on one side that consolidates refrigeration, ovens, a wine cooler, and storage to create a unified look and allowing the sink and cooktop runs to be more focused on their specific tasks. Visually, the tall volume balances the dramatic view of the bay. The sink wall is tightly focused around clean up and prep related tasks. A paneled dishwasher and concealed trash are located on either side of the sink. A corner unit connects the cooktop run. Three-drawer base units throughout the kitchen provide ample, easily accessible storage. Integrated appliances and an appliance garage at the end of the sink run keep the design sleek and clutter free. Integrating lighting provides focused light without cluttering the design. Across from the tall volume, a grouping of frame and panel upper units, with milky glass interiors, add lightness to the design and provide additional storage. The coffee station below acts as a bridge to the dining area. The island with its second sink and concealed trash unit, provides an additional prep station and also acts as a nice spot for enjoying a cup of coffee while taking in the view. The material palette used in the design consists of Rift-cut white oak, HPL, stainless steel, and glass which create a clean, but warm feeling that is both durable and elegant. The stainless steel pulls, designed by Henrybuilt, are used though out. All of the appliances are Miele. The cabinet system is FSC certified formaldehyde free.