Swatt | Miers Architects have designed the ARA Residence in Atherton, California.
From the architects
This new family estate is located on a beautiful flag lot in Atherton, California. Surrounded by mature oak, pine, cedar, walnut, and birch trees, and bordered by 20-foot-tall hedges along portions of the property lines, the setting provides total privacy from the neighboring houses.
The earliest design strategy involved setting the building on an angle, roughly 30 degrees, off of the orthogonal grid of the lot, creating diagonal, vanishing vistas from each major space-increasing the sense of space surrounding the home. The trapezoid-shaped exterior spaces have been transformed into landscaped outdoor rooms for family living, with extensive private gardens, terraces, and a swimming pool. The house is approached from the west side from a long private driveway that skirts the edge of the property. A linear entry walkway, covered by a low cantilevered roof overhandg, leads to the main entry.
Architect: Swatt | Miers Architects
Photography by Russell Abraham Photography