Bernal Heights
A mark of successful Bernal Heights architecture is when its residents feel at home. Access to outdoor space is prized in a dense urban environment like San Francisco. And while most of the City is known for the heavy layer of marine fog, some neighborhoods have warmer microclimates. Bernal’s northern slope is one such location – it’s known as one of San Francisco’s “banana belts”.
Our clients, had very little yard outdoor space available to enjoy the warmer weather. Their home, which had been remodeled and strangely expanded over its history, had only a tiny rear yard. To make matters worse, access to this small, but valuable outdoor space was through a tiny side door located off the kitchen.
Bernal Heights Architecture – A Solution
Our solution was to add a roof deck off the existing attic level master bedroom and connect it to the existing outdoor space below via a new spiral stair. The upper level deck has wonderful solar exposure, and views of the surrounding neighborhood. It is really private deck, but can be used for entertaining as well.
The lower level yard is accessed through the renovated kitchen. Because the exterior space is small, we thought of it as an urban “outdoor room”. The fencing and building define the walls of the room, and the spiral stair provides a sculptural accent.
The kitchen opens onto the rear yard through large, glass French doors. The new views of the outdoors from the dining room and the kitchen give the illusion of a larger interior space. To create a feeling of spaciousness, we also removed the existing flat, kitchen ceiling and made the shape of sloping roof part of the kitchen design. The underside of the new ceiling is covered with clear cedar planks. The cabinetry is mahogany and all the appliances are “built-in” for a clean look.
As part of this project, we remodeled the existing master bathroom. It features a custom bamboo vanity with a concrete counter and integral concrete sink. We added a new steam shower and custom, built-in storage cabinets, too.
A mark of successful Bernal Heights architecture is when its residents feel at home. Access to outdoor space is prized in a dense urban environment like San Francisco. And while most of the City is known for the heavy layer of marine fog, some neighborhoods have warmer microclimates. Bernal’s northern slope is one such location – it’s known as one of San Francisco’s “banana belts”.
Our clients, had very little yard outdoor space available to enjoy the warmer weather. Their home, which had been remodeled and strangely expanded over its history, had only a tiny rear yard. To make matters worse, access to this small, but valuable outdoor space was through a tiny side door located off the kitchen.
Bernal Heights Architecture – A Solution
Our solution was to add a roof deck off the existing attic level master bedroom and connect it to the existing outdoor space below via a new spiral stair. The upper level deck has wonderful solar exposure, and views of the surrounding neighborhood. It is really private deck, but can be used for entertaining as well.
The lower level yard is accessed through the renovated kitchen. Because the exterior space is small, we thought of it as an urban “outdoor room”. The fencing and building define the walls of the room, and the spiral stair provides a sculptural accent.
The kitchen opens onto the rear yard through large, glass French doors. The new views of the outdoors from the dining room and the kitchen give the illusion of a larger interior space. To create a feeling of spaciousness, we also removed the existing flat, kitchen ceiling and made the shape of sloping roof part of the kitchen design. The underside of the new ceiling is covered with clear cedar planks. The cabinetry is mahogany and all the appliances are “built-in” for a clean look.
As part of this project, we remodeled the existing master bathroom. It features a custom bamboo vanity with a concrete counter and integral concrete sink. We added a new steam shower and custom, built-in storage cabinets, too.
