Four Houses Four Stories - Flipbook - Page 42
“We want a profound place where we can escape and reflect on life.”
These heartfelt words marked the beginning of a transformative journey, one that
not only created two uniquely interconnected homes but also planted the seeds for
what would become the WHOLE-VISION Design Process. Over several years,
this collaboration unfolded as an intimate exploration of ideas, concepts, and
emotions—a process that brought deep joy to both the clients and our design team.
Project Facts
A Site of Challenges
and Inspiration
In the Bay Area community of Orinda,
California, halfway between the Pacific
Ocean and the Central Valley, lies a
site perched high on a southwesternfacing hillside. From this vantage
point, expansive views sweep across
the valley, framed by rolling hills of
oak and chaparral woodland. It is a
landscape that evokes a sense of
exclusivity and serenity, where homes
nestle into the hillsides, almost invisible
among the trees.
This breathtaking site also presented
unique challenges. The steep
topography limited grading options for
access roads and building placement.
City regulations further constrained
design possibilities: structures could
not exceed 18 feet in height; all
materials had to be natural, fireresistant, and earth-toned; and the
removal of oak trees with trunks
greater than six inches in diameter
was strictly prohibited. The landscape
itself demanded drought-tolerant and
fire-resistant planting. These challenges
shaped a design approach that
embraced the constraints and
celebrated the beauty of the site.
A Vision of a Retreat
The clients, avid travelers and
collectors of contemporary sculpture
originally envisioned a small retirement
retreat—a place to host family
gatherings, dinner parties, and
intimate moments of solitude. They
imagined a home that reflected their
love of nature and simplicity, a space
that was elegant but unpretentious,
with comfort at its core.
Designing such a home required an
approach as thoughtful and layered as
their vision. Through countless latenight discussions—dubbed “kitchen
table design sessions”—the clients
articulated their desires with increasing
clarity. They wanted a home that felt
heavy, yet light; simple, yet refined;
open, but also private. Despite having
no formal design training, they quickly
embraced the language of
architecture, working closely with our
team to explore the possibilities of
form, space, and order.
The Birth of
WHOLE-VISION Design
What began as a single retirement
home transformed into a profound
exploration of site, form, and purpose.
The process of designing two similar
yet distinct homes on the same site
allowed us to refine our approach,
blending architecture, landscape, and
interiors into a unified vision. This
project became the foundation of our
WHOLE-VISION Design Process, a
philosophy that continues to guide our
work today.
These homes are more than structures—
they are places of reflection and
inspiration, spaces that honor the land
while celebrating the lives of those
who inhabit them. They stand as a
testament to what is possible when
clients and designers embark on a
journey of shared discovery and
creativity.
