7.26.2019 | DIGS.NET 41
Dictating the structure's design was its 20-acre locale on the valley floor in Napa, complete with endless vineyards flanked by
two distant mountain ranges, a row of soaring trees in the northeast corner of the site and a single majestic valley oak nearby.
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"e clients were incredible—they work in
tech in San Francisco, but both grew up in the
outdoors," says Jess. "ey wanted a place to be
in nature, and to spend time with their kids,
extended family and friends. But they also came
into this with a recognition that every place on
earth has a particular story and wanted to honor
and continue on that story in this home."
Dictating the structure's design was its 20-acre
locale on the valley floor in Napa, complete with
endless vineyards flanked by two distant mountain
ranges, a row of soaring trees in the northeast
corner of the site and a single majestic valley
oak nearby. at led to a U-shaped main house
consisting of three wings, and the repurposing of
an old barn into a new barn boasting an intimate
gathering space. Both structures are oriented
around a central courtyard and pool, where the
central axis connects the oak tree on one side with
the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain on the other. e
team looked for moments to weave together the
clients' daily rhythms with the landscape. "ey'll
walk out to the barn for picnics with their young
girls, and so we removed a single row of vines
for that path," says Jess. "at walk gives you a totally
different relationship to the vines, suddenly immersing
you in their rhythms and textures." e Fields also
played with features particular to the setting. For
example, a cutaway in the gabled roof at each of the
home's joints tightly frames and pulls the mountains
into focus to give the homeowners an intimate and
individual relationship with the mountains.
Inside the main home, the sleek, airy and
modern living spaces are marked by light pouring
in from twin skylights on either side of the home
(atop a chimney in the great room at one end and
the kitchen on the other), and punctuated by
timber beams, and floor-to-ceiling windows and
doors. "e skylights are oriented the same, but
on opposing sides," says Jess. "In the morning,
one wall will be washed with light, while the
other casts a shaft of light deep into the space.
In the evening, this light play will flip, with the
architecture serving as a lens to the land."
In the end, Jess describes Zinfandel as a project
made of details that come together as a backdrop
for a cohesive identity. "e home allows your
attention to continually shift and explore the
surroundings—both the details of the building,
but also the details of the landscape that get
framed by the building," he says. "is overall
effect and the relationship drives us, and it's what
was most exciting about the project for us."
fieldarchitecture.com
