San Francisco , California/Completed 1998
This residence is a remodel of a 10,000-square-foot house in Pacific Heights originally designed by William Wurster in 1961. To make the spectacular views of the San Francisco Bay even more panoramic the house's factory-like grid of opaque glass facing the courtyard was turned into a sweeping wall of glass and stainless steel that juts out, as if it were craning to capture a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. The monotony of plate-glass windows has been relieved in the living room with a distinctly syncopated rhythm, thanks to the addition of stainless steel frames, french doors and, most particularly, a large trapezoidal panel.
A checkerboard of altering black-river rock and baby's tears ground cover adds a dynamic graphic to the contemplative outdoor space. A small forest of bamboo trees disguises the neighbor's wall. The overall impression is one of calm luxuriousness and a past gently prodded toward a more resonant future. The 10,000 pound granite boulder fountain was fabricated by the Lundberg Design Shop.
Client: Lawrence Ellison
Project Lead: Marla Ushijima
Contractor: Ryan Construction
Awards: AIA Best Of The Bay Honor Award 1998
Published:
San Francisco Examiner Magazine, February 22 1998
Interior Design Magazine, October 1997, No. 12
New York Times Magazine, November 3 1996
