Martis Valley House

This house was built in a community with strict architectural guidelines that required steeply roofed, small windowed, "Old Tahoe" styled house forms. The owners desired a much more open, modern, light-filled house. Extremely controversial, this very low, predominately one story form was approved and built after five years of design work and negotiation with the design review committee.

Requirement from the owner for a modern, low house conflicted with the local design guidelines. Snow load driven heavy beams and rafters stained to repeat the even tones of the surrounding trees, second growth redwood siding, site native basalt, stone terrace walls, divided light steel sash and wood windows and room size additive massing bridged the gap between the guidelines and the goals of the client.

Low sloped roofs and modern massing allowed the landscape to win and preserved views to Lookout Mountain beyond for the surrounding neighborhood. Petitions were raised to stop the design, yet upon completion, the house is widely accepted as a successful intervention into the community. Virtually all of the existing Jeffery Pine trees were saved. Strict protection of the existing landscape allowed for almost no new landscaping. This added value to the the project through reduced cost and allowed a high level of continuity with the existing environment. A courtyard plan diagram welcomes and protects the family upon arrival.