outside inhouse
Location: Sonoma, California
Date: 2019-2020
Project Description:
The design challenge we faced for the Outside InHouse was akin to designing a Manhattan micro-unit within a national park. A weekend retreat for a family of four, the house could not exceed 640 square feet due to local regulations, yet needed to deeply integrate with its huge, spectacular site overlooking the Sonoma Valley vineyards. Our solution was three interlocking boxes (main common room + two bedroom volumes) connecting to three outdoor areas (entry courtyard, cantilevered deck, and pool terrace) which step down the terrain. The entry sequence is carefully curated: upon approach, the dark volumes of the house shield the vista; after descending a set of stairs into the earth, one passes through a shaded patio and steps inside the main room, where large expanses of glass dramatically reveal the lush valley below.
Tiny and efficient, while feeling spacious and expansive, the project epitomizes our design doctrine of doing the most with the least.
outside inhouse: modern cabin in sonoma, california