Brett Farrow designs San Dieguito House to embrace setting in coastal California
https://www.dezeen.com/2024/04/17/brett-farrow-designs-san-dieguito-house-to-embrace-setting-in-coastal-california/
A large tree lies at the heart of a cedar-clad residence in southern California designed by US studio
Brett Farrow Architect, which used various tactics to "meld nature into the home's ethos". Located in the beach town of Encinitas, just north of San Diego, the house was designed to replace a family's existing ranch-style home that no longer fit their needs.
Brett Farrow Architect, which is based in the nearby town of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, set out to create a new residence that embodied a spirit of place. "The design of the home is a reflection on the natural environment and climate of coastal southern California," the studio said. Roughly square in plan, the new house rises two levels and totals 3,223 square feet (299 square metres). Facades are clad in Western red cedar that was lightly finished to preserve the wood's "natural beauty and unique character". The same cedar is found within the dwelling.
"Exterior finishes were used on the interior to create a pleasant confusion upon entry and a questioning of where the outside ended and the inside began," the studio said. Early in the design process, a guiding concern for the team was preserving a large, native Torrey pine tree that had been planted decades earlier and had grown to dominate the site.
"Although majestic in many ways, the tree, unfortunately, put the entire site in shade and made for a gloomy interior in the existing home," the studio said. To ensure brighter conditions in the new residence, the team inserted a courtyard into the plan, creating a dedicated space for the pine tree. Glazed walls were placed around the courtyard to bring in sunlight.
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