Site size:4,680 sf
Project size: 1,986 sf

Program: The house was built on alongside an existing home in a single lot, located at an intersection between a residential street and a busy thoroughfare. The site is also adjacent to a former Southern Pacific Rail line, with the scar of the tracks still visible in the landscape. Given those conditions, the architects designed a house that considered light, air, and privacy within the context of the neighboring structure and the active street.

Location: Berkeley, California

Solution: The architecture borrows from the industrial qualities of the railway to echo the site’s former use. Corrugated metal wraps down the roof and exterior wall that face the former train line, while the front side expresses the pitch of the roof, tying the structure to a more traditional house form. The interior’s open plan features high vaulted ceilings and lofty spaces.

Construction and materials: The structure comprises standard wood framing—typical of many homes in the area, but eliminates features such as collar ties in order to express the roof pitch on the interior. Off-the-shelf materials are used in inventive ways. 

Completion date: December 2014


People

Architect:

Baran Studio Architecture
5621 Lowell Street Ste. F
Oakland, CA 94608

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:

Matthew Baran, AIA, Principal, Architect
Diane Moseley, Architect
Cassidy Cheang, Senior Designer
Steven Nguyen, Designer

Architect of record: Matthew Baran

Engineers: Seri Ngernwattana, Structural Engineer

General contractor: CS Construction

Photographer: Peter Lyons, 415-317-2542

 

 

Products

Structural System

Concrete Foundation with Wood Frame

Manufacturer of any structural components unique to this project: Primarily off the shelf or custom fabricated components.

Exterior Cladding

Wood: Cedar T&G at entry

Moisture barrier: Building Paper

Other cladding unique to this project: Galvanized, corrugated sheet steel
James Hardie cement board and cement battens

Roofing

Tile/shingles: Composite Shingle

Windows

Metal frame: IWC Aluminum Windows

Glazing

Glass: Low E, double pane

Skylights: Velux

Doors

Entrances: Solid Core Wood Doors from Associated Building Supply

Wood doors: Solid Core Wood Doors from Associated Building Supply

Sliding doors: IWC

Upswinging doors, other: Clopay Garage Door

Hardware

Locksets: Baldwin

Pulls: Ikea

Interior Finishes

Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Ikea

Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore

Solid surfacing: Quartz Countertops, Granite Expo

Floor and wall tile: Import Tile, Bathrooms
The Tile Shop, Kitchen

Lighting

Interior ambient lighting: CB2 Pendants

Downlights: Halo Recessed Cans