Sustainable Home Renovation Overlooking The Vineyards of Sonoma, California:

Sonoma Residence was designed by New-York-based Cooper Joseph Studio and is a beautiful hillside building overlooking the vineyards of Sonoma, California. The project is a two-level renovation of a house an agricultural property and occupies an area of 2,200 square feet.According to the architects, “the Owners requested an efficient renovation that would maximize hillside views and connect the two levels to allow for more open living. They asked that wood be used extensively for the renovation.Since the 25-acre site had no infrastructure, we buried utilities, improved grading to eliminate erosion, and built a solar array able to power the entire property and equipment.Our sustainability strategy involved reusing all the wood from the existing redwood porch structure in an agricultural shed elsewhere on the property. This shed is fitted out with the original kitchen cabinetry, appliances and sliding doors.In addition to the adaptive reuse of elements of the house, we used sustainably harvested Ipe for the structural porch, and decks on both sides of the house.” Be sure to have a look at the two “before photos” at the end of the post for a better understanding of the transformation.

Impressive Contemporary Home: LA Built Around a Spectacular Central Pool

Blue Jay Way Residence comes from McClean Design and is located  in Los Angeles, California, USA. According to the architects, the clients wanted a home built around a central pool, which was the starting point when planning this home: “Upon ascending to the main level of the house, the water element becomes an ornamental pool before dropping into the spa below, and then extends to a 75-foot-long lap pool cantilevered over the slope into the view. The entry to the house is a glass bridge over the pool below. The house is divided in half by the water feature and a pool to minimize the structure’s perceived size and to separate the private spaces (master bedroom, study) from the public (living, dining, kitchen). The living room and master bedroom are cantilevered over outdoor spaces below and appear to hover against the background of the city beyond. The lower level includes several guestrooms, a media room, and a four-car garage. The palette of materials is soft contemporary with extensive use of concrete, wood, and stone.” The project occupies an area of 6800 square feet and has panoramic views of LA, Santa Monica, the Pacific, and Catalina Island. Have a look at the photos for a better understanding and tell us if you are impressed by this home’s architecture or consider it too extravagant.