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Highgate Residence

  • PROJECT ROLES
  • Tom Kundig, Design Principal
  • LOCATION
  • Bay Area, CA

Project Details

Highgate Residence occupies a steeply sloping site in a neighborhood that offers views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The 2,800 sf design provides space for two artists, including areas for living, sleeping, dining, painting, and martial arts.

At the base, a garage cuts into the ground and anchors a cantilevered room, which extends north towards neighboring public gardens. The south and east sides of the building nestle into the steep slope, keeping sightlines clear for other residences. The exterior is made up of tough, low-maintenance materials including steel-cladding, exposed concrete walls and steel windows; the interior floor, walls and ceilings are clad in Europly (FSC certified) plywood.

The client and project team set sustainable design goals early in the process. The project will maximize the potential of its flat roof by filling the area with a photovoltaic panel array and solar thermal collectors. Other priorities include natural ventilation, daylighting, geothermal heating and cooling, roll-down west-facing shutters and a highly efficient envelope. Based on the pre-design study, the design team anticipates that the building will achieve a net-zero energy performance.