Sited on a modest 9,000 SF lot at a cul de sac in South Palo Alto, this new residence is designed to have 3,000 GSF with about 2,600 SF of living space and a 400 SF two-car-garage. The house is custom designed to fit the need of a family of 4, including 3 bedrooms, 3-1/2 baths, and a study. The study, which can be easily converted to become the 4th bedroom and makes the house more flexible and adoptable to its future needs.
To promote the lifestyle of simple living and instigate interaction and connectivity, the house utilizes simple floor layout and building massing by discreetly defining two major types of spaces; social and private. The social spaces of living, dining, kitchen and family room are one connected open space without boundary, which unifies and electrifies the interaction among families. On the other hand, each individual room will be carefully sited with window uniquely framed to capture different portion of the garden, which greatly enhances the sense of privacy and personal pleasure.
Sustainable strategies have been planned and effectively executed into this project. The house is carefully oriented to maximize view and daylight, and to minimize any impact to the existing trees and vegetation surrounding the site. The design incorporates passive heating and cooling strategy to maintain thermal comfort by keeping the house cool during the summer and warm in the winter with some extra help by radiant floor heating. A total of 22 solar panels are installed on the roof and harvesting numerous amount of electricity per year. Other green features include Low-E windows, operable skylights for heat exhaust, high efficiency lightings and water closets. We believe that contemporary design coupled with sustainable approaches should come naturally with the modern living lifestyle.