This project re-envisions an existing home in San Luis Obispo for a couple who are outdoor enthusiasts, avid cooks and fans of contemporary architecture, reconfiguring the house to capture southerly views and enable the clients to grow old comfortably in a setting they love.
Madonna Mountain View
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Madonna Mountain View
San Luis Obispo, CA
Our clients were clear about their needs, which included areas to accommodate their multiple interests, accessibility for family and aging parents, and single-story living that would enable them to age in place.
Set on a steep site east of downtown, adjacent to expansive open land, the site for this project overlooks Bishop Peak and Cerro San Luis, (also known as Madonna Mountain)—two well-known mountains that are part of a chain of volcanic peaks extending from Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo. These clients had lived in the home for some time and gained an understanding of the home’s opportunities and challenges, studying the wind and sun patterns, and getting to know the area’s micro-climates.
Accessibility proved to be the primary challenge, so the design solution first addresses the structure’s existing loop driveway and low-slung garage. Eliminating the loop drive and shifting the garage downward on the site toward the street allowed us to increase the height of the garage to accommodate a sprinter van, while additional square footage in the garage accommodates a wood shop.
The long, low lines of the redesigned home incorporate expanses of glass to capture the mountain views, while respecting the neighbors in this existing enclave by limiting the structure’s visual impact. After an extensive budget review, our design team optimized the design to maintain the home’s northern bedroom wing and interior courtyard, keeping existing foundations, retaining walls and exterior walls in the process. We focused on opening up view corridors on the interior and expanding the southern expanse, adding a new primary suite on the southeastern end and an expansive open kitchen to the southwest. Living areas located on a single level will allow our clients to comfortably age in place.
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