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Tiburon, California, USA

Architects: Aidlin Darling Design
Client: Private
Photographers: Joe Fletcher

This coastal home is situated on the edge of a precipice that maximizes panoramic views from San Francisco to Mount Tamalpais. Carefully folded into a western hillside overlooking Richardson Bay, it maintains a sense of intimacy by nestling among the live oak trees and Monterey pines that envelope the site.

The project's formal language was inspired by terraced landscapes and shade canopy structures that respond to the steeply sloping terrain while protecting the occupants from exposure to the surrounding natural world's harsh elements. Earthen colored, board-formed concrete walls and mortar-set stone walls act as masses that retain the hillside and carve out spaces for occupation.

Floorplates and roof planes shift and extend in response to ample solar exposure, while the home's massing creates protected garden spaces that facilitate indoor-outdoor living. Cedar slats stream filtered sunlight into the home's open-air terraces while continuing inside to cover the ceilings and enhance the home's indoor-outdoor experience.

The resulting architecture creates a home that is both grounded and dynamic, reaching out to the site's spectacular views while instilling the occupant with a sense of protection and comfort.