
Home of the Week: Résidence Alma by Atelier Barda
Old face, new soul.
“It’s a very discreet intervention, but filled with complex technical design features and transformations that are only revealed inside the envelope.”
“It’s a very discreet intervention, but filled with complex technical design features and transformations that are only revealed inside the envelope.”
With generous use of reclaimed wood, this Santa Cruz home is a relaxed modern build that channels the beachy vibes of the area and owners.
Two chimneys on each side support cantilevered living areas and the roof as if the home has two legs that it is standing on in the woods.
Reflecting pools dot the property, drawing lines of sight between pavilions and complementing the aesthetic, which the architects call “tropical minimalism.”
There is a humbleness about this approach that seems to respect the topography, the grandness of the mountains, that seems to have inspired the home itself with the Café Canal stone walls and the multiplane roof.
The structure’s simple frame contributes to the compactness of the passive house’s sustainable focus.
Glazed tiles, used in 1884 at the nearby El Capricho Palace then being built by Gaudí, were placed in the original build and have since been restored by García-Germán, referencing the strong tradition of Spanish art nouveau in the area.
A Craftsman Bungalow remodeled into a passive house while maintaining essential qualities of the original.
Walker Warner Architects has created a retreat on the California coast influenced by design elements typical of a home in Cape Cod.