The American architect Jeff Svitak has designed a house located on a hillside in San Diego, with several outdoor spaces and an office for his practice.
Spanning three floors and lined in blackened wood, Redwood House has a varied construction comprising cuboid volumes and outdoor corridors.
The house measures 2,000 square feet (186 square meters) and is located near a canyon that crosses San Diego.
"The canyon created an essence so that the house can work and integrate," said Svitak.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi.
The back of the house faces a wooded ravine, while its facade facing the street remains more private. The house is accessed by a floating steel bridge and a sliding door of cedar.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi.
Upon entering there is a hall, a dressing table and a staircase. On the left there is a galley kitchen, and on the other there is a living and dining room.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi.
The living room is cantilevered with a glazed section lined with glass, which creates an indoor-outdoor room suitable for the warm climate of Southern California.
These two areas are separated by an internal courtyard, but joined by the front hall and a back deck, thus creating a circular route around the floor plan.
"Instead of a blunt mass object between the street and the canyon, the house is divided into separate mass elements, which allow the cannon to enter the spaces of the house and study through a thin patio element" said Svitak.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi.
Upstairs there are two bedrooms with bathrooms en suite. The second, larger room has an outdoor patio and overlooks a green roof.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi.
In the basement is the owner's architecture studio, which consists of a meeting room, work area, bathroom, private rear terrace and entrance patio.
Photograph by Tomoko Matsubayashi.
"The architectural footprint, while small, is vertically integrated to offer a wide range of life opportunities through complex but refined geometry and spatial designs," said Svitak.
Architects often design houses and studios combined on their own. Others who have recently completed this type of project include Moss in Chicago and Another Studio in Bulgaria.
The photograph is by Onnis Luque unless otherwise indicated.
