Situated high in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills, this magnificent 2.19 acre site slopes sharply to the west with stunning bay views while abutting the East Bay Regional Park on the north and east. Given this unique setting, a series of 2 and 3 story board-formed concrete core walls and columns were established to support 3 clear-span floor plates stepping down the hillside.
These concrete elements have been scaled to achieve a harmonic counterpoint alongside the redwoods – neither to overwhelm nor be overwhelmed. While doing so, they support the program’s massing allowing it to be sculpted to the site. The project utilizes simple, natural exterior materials including, wood (cedar siding), board formed concrete, cement plaster with acrylic finish coat, and trellis shaded aluminum, high-performance glass windows and doors.
Main entrance of the house.
Front view of the house.
Backyard view of the house.
A wooden deck with couches.
A modern house with wood sidings and a concrete walkway.
Jon Dykstra owns an interior design company in North Vancouver, British Columbia. He's fascinated by architecture and interiors. He also enjoys gardening at his "house in the burbs" and "homesteading" at his off-the-grid boat-access cabin.
Combine all that with a love of writing and Homestratsophere.com was born. He balances his working time between running his interior design company, working on his off-the-grid cabin and publishing homestratosphere.com.
