Feldman Architecture has completed Guzhai, a biophilic house nestled amidst mature trees and vegetation on a private flag lot in Los Altos Hills, California. The structure features two perpendicularly layered forms, with the second floor lightly floating above a grove of mature oaks, offering views of the San Francisco Bay. The L-shaped configuration encloses a protected courtyard and pool, enhancing the indoor-outdoor living experience.
Generational Home Design Emphasizes Harmony with Nature
Designed by Feldman Architecture, Guzhai serves as a generational home for an international client who values modern design and biophilic living spaces. The project overcame a language barrier between the architect and client, both of whom are knowledgeable in architecture and engineering, through innovative communication methods.
Designed as a family gathering place, Guzhai features open-plan living spaces on the ground floor, including a kitchen, dining area, and passively cooled double-height living room. Large windows on both floors capitalize on natural ventilation, providing passive cooling. The design creates an architectural framework for enjoying the surrounding scenery, making the structure almost transparent.
Elsewhere on the ground level, Guzhai features an L-shaped structure enclosing a protected courtyard and pool area, giving the client’s visiting parents privacy in a carefully designed guest suite. The home sits on a flag lot framed by mature trees, promoting harmony between the built environment and nature.
Supported by the lower level on one end and the hillside on the other, the home’s private second floor balances gracefully atop a first-floor platform. The primary suite floats above a grove of mature oaks, framing views of the distant San Francisco Bay. The double-height stone fireplace connects the first and second floors, and plays a role in the Guhzai’s natural cooling strategy.
On the opposite end, the twins’ rooms mirror one another and are divided by a shared study nook. This pattern of symmetry ensures a similar experience for each child. Wood slats add warmth to the neutral material palette, and natural light plays across the interior.
The five-bedroom house’s signature feature is a perforated wall with large cantilevered steps forming a feature staircase that winds its way up its full height.
Additional staircases wind alonside the wall, while perforations of different sizes bring light down from a narrow skylight.
A large hole in the wall also allows light to condition the plantings on the green wall in the home’s interior.
According to Marini, “the facade is composed of three glass panels that reach a height of eight metres and can be moved manually.”
The home’s exterior features a grey bricks that rises from a concrete foundation. A substantial portion of the house is underground, extending across a three-level slope, with stepped flat roofs.
