La Ventosa

2200 sf renovation + addition

The site commands striking views of the skyline, harbor, San Rafael Hills, and is frequented by the Sundowner and Santa Ana winds.

Over the years, the residence was subjected to various cobbled additions that were left in severe disrepair and had made the home programmatically impractical. The new architectural intervention can be read as an enhancement to the site, transforming the home into a mechanism that utilizes the site’s distinct climactic forces to create a comfortable environment.

The new form thoughtfully supplements the existing with added bays and porches that engage the landscape. Weathered Redwood louvers, reminiscent of those of early 20th century sleeping porches, envelope the façade, serving as instruments of shade and air circulation. Transom windows, a common 19th century light technique, are used to link the original structure with the new addition by allowing daylight to penetrate and bounce deep into the space.