Designed by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, this modernist single-family residence is located in Los Altos, California, United States.

Description by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson
Located in an established Los Altos neighborhood, this single-family residence is a modernist reinterpretation of the Northern California ranch style home the clients desired. Nestled amongst neighboring houses and a landscape of mature trees, the residence maintains a sense of privacy and offers this young family reprieve from the bustle of daily activities.
Designed around an existing Japanese maple tree?a vestige of the previous landscape and the relationship shared between residence and site?the house takes full advantage of the Silicon Valley?s mild climate. While windows and doors fill interiors with air and light, they also frame views of the diverse flora surrounding the home. In the living room, a wall of sliding glass doors blurs the line between indoors and out, opening to the back patio overlooking a meadow of tall grasses. In the master bedroom, one can hear the trickling of water and quiet rustling of trees coming from the meditation garden just outside. It is these moments, when the outdoors extend inside, that help anchor the building to site. The main house is composed of a central double-height living and communal space that runs parallel to the street, shielding the home from the quiet thoroughfare. This common area, which includes a modest kitchen and place for family ga...