2017 AIA Housing Awards: Los Altos Residence by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Located in an established Los Altos neighborhood, this single-family residence is a modernist reinterpretation of the Northern California ranch style home. Nestled amongst neighboring houses and a landscape of mature trees, the residence maintains a sense of privacy and offers reprieve from the hectic pace of daily activities. The home’s main volume is composed of a double-height living space and kitchen, which runs parallel to the street and connects two single-story volumes, each containing a variety of private and functional spaces. With views from every room, one’s eye is easily drawn outside, where a linear pool and board-formed concrete garden wall, located along the eastern edge of the property, visually connects the residence to the guesthouse beyond. The simple layout and detailing of the residence, with its numerous connections to the outdoors, creates a home that is both calm and restful for the family to enjoy for years to come.

“Use and control of the site is a key element to the appeal of this design.  The house is insular in focus but gives generous outdoor space for extending the indoors out.”—Jury comment