The photograph captures the interior of the kitchen area, emphasizing the sliding glass door that provides access to the outdoor space. — **Architect:** Terry & Terry Architecture
**Photography**: Ethan Kaplan

The image features the front-facing exterior of the three-story Alvarado House, highlighting its architectural elements and overall aesthetic design.

This image showcases a close-up perspective of the exterior features of the Alvarado House's second and third floors, while also offering a limited view of the interior design on the second floor through the glass wall panels. — This image showcases a close-up perspective of the exterior features of the Alvarado House’s second and third floors, while also offering a limited view of the interior design on the second floor through the glass wall panels.

The photograph offers a view of the second floor's outdoor space during daylight, allowing for an appreciation of its layout and design elements, with a particular focus on the solid wood ceiling design. — The photograph offers a view of the second floor’s outdoor space during daylight, allowing for an appreciation of its layout and design elements, with a particular focus on the solid wood ceiling design.

This photograph was taken from the second floor outdoor deck and features the steel moment frame, which employs glass as a membrane to blur the distinction between the interior volumes of the house and the outdoor deck spaces.

The image displays the interior design of the indoor staircase, highlighting its aesthetic features and structural elements.

The house plan for the ground floor level of the Alvarado House.

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The house plan for the main floor level of the Alvarado House.

The house plan for the roof level of the Alvarado House.

The house plan for the upper floor level of the Alvarado House.

We maintained certain portions of the original Victorian layout, including the compartmentalized front rooms and the wide dining/hallway. As one moves to the rear of the house, traces of the original Victorian house dissolve. We designed the new structure at the rear of the house to be a multi-functional open space for dining, cooking and common living. On the third floor, we added bedrooms/bathrooms, a large stair shaft at the core of the house, and a roof opening to allow light to reach the middle section of the house.

To create transparency at the rear of the house, we used a three-story, steel moment frame. This allowed us to use glass as a membrane, blurring the distinction between the inner volumes of the house and the outdoor deck spaces. The moment frame also gave us greater freedom to manipulate the various volumes of the house. At each level, these volumes straddle the steel moment frame, and through their positioning, they provide shade and privacy to other indoor and outdoor spaces. Finally, we inserted a large patio on the ground level, to enhance the connection with the garden area.