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Project posted by Frank Hennessy

Walden House

View 16 Photos
Location
Carmel Valley, California
Year
2022
Structure
House (Single Residence)
Style
Modern
Auto court with concealed garage doors. View of upper oak knoll.
Auto court with concealed garage doors. View of upper oak knoll.
Courtyard, looking southwest. Doors on both sides of the dining room pocket into walls, encouraging the indoor/outdoor flow through the house. Matching seat-walls at the pool terrace and courtyard are softly lit at night.
Courtyard, looking southwest. Doors on both sides of the dining room pocket into walls, encouraging the indoor/outdoor flow through the house. Matching seat-walls at the pool terrace and courtyard are softly lit at night.
Breezeway, looking west across the auto court to mountains. The charred Japanese cypress wood “yaki-sugi-ita”, which resists termites and fire, clads the exterior and extends inside at featured walls with a resin sealer.
Breezeway, looking west across the auto court to mountains. The charred Japanese cypress wood “yaki-sugi-ita”, which resists termites and fire, clads the exterior and extends inside at featured walls with a resin sealer.
Prefab steel house, erected in 4 days, was simplified by a 5' module. All window panels are 5'x10'. Neighboring house and driveways are edited with careful siting and grading, resulting in a pristine view from the house and terraces.
Prefab steel house, erected in 4 days, was simplified by a 5' module. All window panels are 5'x10'. Neighboring house and driveways are edited with careful siting and grading, resulting in a pristine view from the house and terraces.
Corner living room has wrapping views. Seat-height pool bench screens houses and driveways below.
Corner living room has wrapping views. Seat-height pool bench screens houses and driveways below.
Kitchen, looking toward den/guest room. Full-height pocket doors convert powder room to ensuite bath. Poliform cabinets throughout add continuity and continuity and spaciousness to the 1930 sf house.
Kitchen, looking toward den/guest room. Full-height pocket doors convert powder room to ensuite bath. Poliform cabinets throughout add continuity and continuity and spaciousness to the 1930 sf house.
The owners restored the natural landscape with all native plants. 7' overhangs on both window walls, combined with concrete floors and cross ventilation, keep the house cool throughout the summer.
The owners restored the natural landscape with all native plants. 7' overhangs on both window walls, combined with concrete floors and cross ventilation, keep the house cool throughout the summer.
Den/guest room/office looking south. The den converts to an office with two desks or or a guest bedroom with pivoting Murphy bed. The interior siding has a resin coating to keep charcoal from rubbing off.
Den/guest room/office looking south. The den converts to an office with two desks or or a guest bedroom with pivoting Murphy bed. The interior siding has a resin coating to keep charcoal from rubbing off.
Pool terrace looking east to "Pastures of Heaven".
Pool terrace looking east to "Pastures of Heaven".
The open plan with living room at the corner features both views. Bedrooms are at either end, separated for privacy. The steel frame and roof, simplified by a 5' module, was prefabricated and assembled in four days.
The open plan with living room at the corner features both views. Bedrooms are at either end, separated for privacy. The steel frame and roof, simplified by a 5' module, was prefabricated and assembled in four days.
Floor Plan. An informal entry is through a central outdoor room defined by the "L"-shaped house, the garage and a retaining wall and stair to the upper vegetable garden and oak knoll--the owners' "playground". The spacious feel of the 1930 sf house is achieved by the simple open plan and the degree of connectivity of indoor and outdoor spaces, including floor to ceiling glass walls, which pocket on both sides of the dining room.
Floor Plan. An informal entry is through a central outdoor room defined by the "L"-shaped house, the garage and a retaining wall and stair to the upper vegetable garden and oak knoll--the owners' "playground". The spacious feel of the 1930 sf house is achieved by the simple open plan and the degree of connectivity of indoor and outdoor spaces, including floor to ceiling glass walls, which pocket on both sides of the dining room.
Site Section. The clutter of neighboring houses and driveways is edited by landscaping and a grading concept that used the pool as a "horizontal blind" to screen houses and leave a pristine view of the mountains.
Site Section. The clutter of neighboring houses and driveways is edited by landscaping and a grading concept that used the pool as a "horizontal blind" to screen houses and leave a pristine view of the mountains.
Pool terrace, looking east toward "Pastures of Heaven"
Pool terrace, looking east toward "Pastures of Heaven"
Site Plan, showing the siting on the sidehill rather than the upper oak knoll. Accessing and developing the upper site would have compromised the oak grove and made it more difficult to screen surrounding driveways and roofs.
Site Plan, showing the siting on the sidehill rather than the upper oak knoll. Accessing and developing the upper site would have compromised the oak grove and made it more difficult to screen surrounding driveways and roofs.
Winter view of eastern pastures
Winter view of eastern pastures

Details

Square Feet
1930
Lot Size
2.5 acres
Bedrooms
2
Full Baths
2

Credits

Posted by
Architect
Frank Hennessy, Architect
Photographer
Jim Hennessy
Awards
American Institute of Architects/Monterey Bay 2023 Merit Award

From Frank Hennessy

Carmel Valley House
Project Narrative
The clients, a recently-retired couple, searched coastal communities before settling on this 2.5- acre vacant lot. The site is minutes from Carmel Valley Village, with exceptional view potential due to a unique position on the easternmost edge of development. The client program included the following excerpts:
“This is a chance to commission an inspiring work for our forever home.
We embrace integrity of design, craftsmanship and materials so far as our budget allows. We envision a livable, elegant, honest, sustainable design where we and those who visit feel comfortable and inspired. Our wish - an efficient modern structure, abundant natural light, under 2,000 square feet, 1 bedroom, 2 bathrooms, a den/guest room, and a lap pool.
Nestled yet expansive - open to the elements.”
The property had two attractive building sites: an oak knoll at the top of the property, and a sloping side hill. A 30% slope, between the two sites, could be bridged, but not disturbed. An existing road cut had been graded to the presumptive building site on the knoll, affording elevated mountain views. However, current driveway/turnaround standards and dense oak cover would have entailed extensive grading and tree removal, altering a valuable site amenity. Instead, the lower site was selected to capture expansive views of pastures to the east as well as southern mountain views, but from a lower perch that could better screen foreground development.
Three concepts were considered to engage the knoll from the lower site, including one, two, and three-story plans. The latter two minimized the footprint and grading and created a dramatic relationship between the knoll and the mountain views. The one-story plan was selected for the efficiency and practicality of living on one level and the opportunity for a house in which all rooms, even showers, opened to the outdoors. In addition, the low-profile house has zero impact on the neighbors, compared to multi-level schemes.
A plinth was created with the pool forming a “horizontal blind” to prevent unwanted downward views.
A central courtyard is wrapped on three sides by the house and garage and the fourth by a retaining wall with stairs up to the knoll. The house is entered informally, through a breezeway to the courtyard which then opens to the view with pocketing doors on both sides of the dining room. The open L-shaped plan captures both views with the living room at the corner. The separation of the bedroom and den/guest room increases privacy and offers differentiated views.A 5’ module simplified a pre-fabricated steel structure erected in four days. All windows and doors are 5’x10’. 10’ ceilings and sliding and pocketing doors make the 1930 sf house feel spacious.
Sustainable features include:
landscape restoration with 6800 owner-propagated native seedlings
7’ overhangs, concrete floors and extensive ventilation for passive solar photovoltaic array
radiant heating
rain harvesting
extra insulation
water well, cistern and treatment for irrigation and pool
rain screen ventilation of siding