Sonoma, CA

The site is 350 acres of sloping woods on the Sonoma County line off the old Santa Rosa Road, which connects the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Three geographies exist: hill, valley, and promontory. The building comprises three structures: an entertainment house, a master suite, and a guest wing.

These are joined by two paths, a bridge and a porch, linking the buildings through the landscape. As the building slides into the geography, the paths tie together the elements of terrain. Entry is below the bridge, which frames a view of a folded valley with Santa Rosa in the distance. The central entertaining house comprises a lofty space as well as a series of intimate rooms: arrival area, library, and kitchen. Above, a mezzanine links to the bridge and leads to the master suite. From the master suite a path goes to the top of a hill and a 360-degree view of the property. The porch is a veranda that extends the living and dining space in a long outdoor room. It connects to the flat promontory and is bounded by the pool, which allows swimming to the edge of the valley. This veranda links to two guest rooms at the edge of the promontory, which also look out at the distant valley.