Situated in the rolling hills of
Sonoma County, the Griffith Residence responds to the owners’ love
of all things Tuscan. Villa Petaluma recalls and reinterprets the
vocabulary and building forms of traditional, rural Italian architecture
while incorporating the economies of contemporary construction technologies.
Following the natural contours of the ground, the
composition of smaller building forms effectively reduces the perceived
mass of the structure. The Griffith Residence confidently squares
itself to the neighborhood below, affords extraordinary views of
the landscape beyond, and provides for direct vehicle access on
a secondary elevation.
Functioning as a hinge between primary living areas
and the garage & guest quarters, the Stair Tower introduces
a hierarchy to the collection of building forms: it’s presence
signals the primary point of formal entry while it’s verticality
suggests the movement of it’s inhabitants inside. The Tower anchors
the house into the hillside while the larger house protects a private
courtyard cut into the hillside at the foot of a protected live
oak tree.
The conventional stick-framed wood construction
bears on cast-in-place concrete foundations. Material specifications
include traditional cement stucco and veneer stone, cast stone architectural
elements, terra cotta roof tiles, copper gutters and downspouts,
and durable, custom, aluminum-clad wood (alder) windows and doors. |
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