The opportunity to live in a home straddling a creek is rare indeed, especially in California, where such buildings were outlawed back in the 1970s. Those built before the law existed are “grandfathered in,” allowed to remain in place so long as they adhere to a strict set of rules and regulations. When San Francisco-based firm Fougeron Architecture was asked to renovate one of these homes, they had to keep the exact same footprint of the existing house, which almost appears to be floating between two gentle tree-covered hillsides.

“Suspension House” preserves all the charms of this very special setting but lessens the home’s impact on the creek. The project presented an engineering problem at the outset: how would the architects expand and modernize the home without changing its outline" Their solution was to stack a whole new level on top of the two existing ones and modify the structural supports so they could accommodate the extra weight.
The original 1970s version of the home was built on columns driven into the creek bed. The new structural system uses steel supports under the floors to anchor the home to the bedrock so that no part of it is touching the water. The tranquil flow is unimpeded, and nearly every living space inside the 2,500-square-foot dwelling enjoys a beautiful view. Each level has its own glass-enclosed balcony, and a spacious deck (also following the contours of an existing structure) spills out onto the hillside...