We had a very small and narrow substandard lot on which only a single
story was allowed.
That led to the idea of a large roof terrace for
entertaining and extra storage-mechanical for the house.
We added a walkable glass insert flush with the terrace deck, which
brings natural light into the house while providing a fun, luminous
accent at night with LED lights for the people enjoying the terrace.
We chose to have tall ceilings with upper clerestory windows to give a
sense of larger, luminous space to the open living room-kitchen-dining
area.
Because of these high windows, remote-operable, we obtained
broad daylight throughout the main areas of the house as well as
ventilation, thus mitigating the need of A/C.
Xeric landscape minimizes the need for water.
A metal standing roofing, synthetic wood terrace-stair decking, precast
coping, a concrete kitchen countertop reduced the impact on natural
resources while providing a minimal need for maintenance.
By using the same dark hardwood for the ceiling as well as
the roof eaves, we established a warm touch to areas often neglected
and established a connection between the interior and exterior.
A glassy canopy at the entrance completes this modern, “ship-like”
small but very efficient residence.