The Finneys needed a small home on the west coast for when they visit their family from their home in Florida.
Their site was 2382 square feet (.05 acre) in size, surrounded on three sides by a street, and sloped in two directions over fifteen feet. The soil on the site was hard bedrock, so lowering a building into the soil was not an option. City regulations required 2 car parking onsite, height limits that followed the slope, encroachment planes, setbacks, lot coverage limits and other significant zoning restrictions. The lot was also located in an area with a strong neighborhood community interested in maintaining their quality of life. The budget was conservative and the Clients were interested in architectural history.
The solution was to put the living spaces on the upper floor, allowing them to flow out onto a deck over the garage and doubling the living area. Windows focused the views toward the arroyo and away from the neighbors. Downstairs housed the bedroom, bathroom and a flex office/guest room space. The house is just over 1000 square feet. To keep the forms simple and cost effective, we looked to Irving Gill for inspiration, but ultimately added color to blend more into the neighborhood.
