Shell Ridge House
Walnut Creek
Located among oaks in rolling hills adjacent to Shell Ridge Open Space in California, the design offers a sequence of buildings and spaces allowing you to wander along the length of the site, discovering new views and panoramas along the journey. The house is designed to feel rooted to the landscape using board-formed concrete retaining walls that build the terraces, stairs, and foundations textured and colored to connect to the landscape.
The house has an exposed wood-framed system with screen panels and glazing that infill the framing. The roof eaves are extended to control heat gain in the summer. The concrete walls absorb the heat reflected off the surrounding dry hillside keeping the house cool.
