54 DIGS.NET
| 10.2.2020
"
A
R
C
H
I
T
E
C
T
U
R
E
+
D
E
S
I
G
N
P R O F I L E | R I C H A R D B E A R D A R C H I T E C T S
OUTSIDE, THE MIX OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL SPACES
INCLUDES WATER FEATURES AND A FREE-STANDING
1,000-SQUARE-FOOT POOL HOUSE. INSIDE, SHADES OF BLUES
AND LAVENDER WERE COMBINED WITH TOUCHES OF ORANGE.
The program for the house was quite complicated,"
notes Richard Beard, founder of Richard Beard
Architects and lead architect for this Bay Area
project. "It required clever compositional moves
to accommodate everything the clients wanted.
While designed for easy and casual living on a
day-to-day basis, it had to provide a generous
entertaining space, fitness room, two offices and
guest quarters—all while maintaining privacy for
everyone." The elegance and functionality of the
12,000-square-foot, six-bedroom home, which is
characterized by structures and walls that define
exterior courtyards and interior areas, fits the
needs of a family.
"The house is essentially linear and intentionally
'skinny' so you get maximum light and garden
views from opposite directions: the road and entry
courtyards, and the rear lawn and garden," says
Beard. In addition to the partial basement with a
den/lounge/TV room, wine cellar and mechanical
space, the first floor comprises shared gathering
spaces including the living room, dining room and
kitchen, all of which open to the exterior. Outside,
a mix of formal and informal spaces host water
features and a free-standing 1,000-square-foot,
cedar-clad pool house that can be used as a guest
house. More private, the second floor of the main
home has an area exclusively dedicated to kids.
The architectural materials—stone for the exterior;
steel from Italy for the doors and windows; and
limestone with a soft texture for paving—were
carefully chosen to create a sense of permanence
and texture. The bright, mostly white marble tiles
and counters in the baths and kitchen give a clean
feeling, while the wide-plank fumed oak flooring
brings some warmth throughout.
-Richard Beard
"The house
is essentially
linear and
intentionally
'skinny' so you
get maximum
light and
garden views
from opposite
directions."
