Architecture studio AGD has created a hillside home in California for two industrial designers that incorporates fireproofing strategies such as fibre-cement siding and a metal structural system.
The 2,330-square-foot (216-square-metre) home consists of a main residence and a separate garage and studio building.
ADG designed a fire-resistant home in California
The Waterfall Residence is located on a hillside property studded with mature oak trees. It lies just south of Carmel Valley, a scenic area in Monterey County known for its farms and vineyards.
The owners are two industrial designers ? Rick Lewis and Linda Menser-Lewis, founders of seven02design ? who formerly lived in Palo Alto.
The home is sited on a slope
The project came with several challenges. The site was difficult due to its slope, which made conventional construction unfeasible, and the area is threatened by wildfire. "The Carmel Valley area is prone to wildfire, and the design of the home was intentional to maximize the fire resistance of the home," said AGD, or Andrew Goodwin Designs, which is based in the coastal city of San Luis Obispo.
Part of the home is lifted off the ground
To address the slope and to minimize disturbance to the oak trees, the team lifted part of the house above the ground using a prefabricated system from Blue Sky Building Systems.
To boost the home's chance of enduring a wildfire, the team used steel for the structural frame and exterior decking. Vegetation around the hom...