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Choy residence: Terry + Terry Architecture
Modern architecture often gets a bad rap in San Francisco. I think it is because many people think modern design means "cold" or "spartan" or they have been conditioned to believe that only Victorian or neoclassical buildings belong in San Francisco.
The past weekend's slate of homes at SF Living: Home Tours went a long way in dispelling those notions.
While every home on the tour had something commendable, a few really stood out as quality pieces of residential architecture. If you couldn't make the tour this past weekend (or even if you did), I'll briefly recap a few of my favorites.
The Choy Residence is perched on 25th Street overlooking Noe Valley. The exterior of this house reveals a continuity with the interior; the use of ipe (a sustainably harvested Brazilian wood) in the deep exterior wing walls and overhangs hints at its extensive use on the floors, ceilings and walls inside. The effect, upon walking in, is a feeling of warmth and richness. This remodel of a 1960's house by Terry + Terry Architecture owes its transformation to the removal of interior walls, opening the main level from front to back, filled with light.
Zack/de Vito residence: Zack/deVito Architects
A few blocks away, on the ridge between Noe Valley and Glen Park, sits the Zack/de Vito Residence. The architects (who are also the owners) utilized factory assembled prefab wood frame panels for the walls, floors, and roof. According to the prefab vendor, all the panels in the house can be manufactured in a day and then erected in the field in six weeks (about half the time of normal framing) and there is a significant cost savings associated with prefabrication as well. The house makes excellent use of the great north view of downtown and is a memorable addition to a block with some notable houses.
The Arterra is a highrise on King Street a few blocks from AT&T Park. Comprised of both condominiums and townhouses, Arterra represents a big step up in the work of the firm of Kwan/Henmi. Its striking blue and orange exterior wall panels are made from a recycled content material called Trespa. In a city of predominantly white and beige buildings, Arterra jumps out at you--successfully, I think.
My personal favorite is the Pacific Heights residence at Pacific Avenue (Divisidero), originally designed by William Wurster. Walker/Warner Architects took on this modern classic and did a fine job with it. Unknown to the owners, the house was effectively a historic landmark in San Francisco and had to be treated like any other historic property. In practice that meant that the architect had to treat the existing exterior very minimally although they did manage to add a new master bedroom and library atop the existing building. The overall feel of this house is understated elegance; moving through the house is a nearly seamless sequence of rooms, each one possessing some special characteristic, be it view or location within the house.
Wurster renovation: Walker/Warner Architects
The remaining homes on the tour all had commendable features and their own design sensibility and I've included links to those architects. These personal favorites made the SF Living: Home Tours memorable.
Other architects represented at SF Living: Home Tours
Rothschild/Schwartz Architects
Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects
Herman & Colliver Architecture
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