Castro Residence
Castro architecture often presents colorful opportunities. For instance, this project on Collingwood Avenue in San Francisco’s Castro District reflects the eclectic tastes of its home’s owners. We incorporated our clients’ passion for art, flea-market finds, and entertaining into the design of this whole-house remodel.
One of our clients is a former pastry chef. Cooking and sharing food is at the center of life for her and her family. With this in mind, we created large open spaces that allow entertaining large gatherings of friends and family. It’s not unusual for fifty or one hundred people to come here and celebrate together.
On the entry floor, we extended the building with a rear-yard addition. Within that space we combined the kitchen, dining room, and sitting area into one open plan. We also included a bar, concealed behind a hand-carved door from India. On the lower floor, we developed the basement into a family room. It includes comfortable seating and a wet bar. It’s the perfect space to watch movies, hang-out, and relax.
Both upper and lower floor spaces open onto large, rear-yard decks. We connected the decks with spiral stair set among large trees. And despite the urban setting, there is a quality of privacy and greenery.
We combined indoor and outdoor spaces by installing two, large folding door systems. Both span over twenty feet in length. The kitchen-level is particularly striking because it is located on an interior corner, and the door folds closed along two adjacent walls.
We also added third floor dormers to create a master bedroom suite and home office. At this level, the bedroom has expansive views of the San Francisco skyline on two sides.
Designing these open spaces required extensive structural modifications. For instance, we inserted steel beams, columns and frames into the wood structure to allow for large open spans and walls mostly made of glass. These elements are hidden from view now, but required careful planning and coordination during construction.
Castro Architecture Collaborators:
Karen Merzenich, Interiors, Home-owner
Castro architecture often presents colorful opportunities. For instance, this project on Collingwood Avenue in San Francisco’s Castro District reflects the eclectic tastes of its home’s owners. We incorporated our clients’ passion for art, flea-market finds, and entertaining into the design of this whole-house remodel.
One of our clients is a former pastry chef. Cooking and sharing food is at the center of life for her and her family. With this in mind, we created large open spaces that allow entertaining large gatherings of friends and family. It’s not unusual for fifty or one hundred people to come here and celebrate together.
On the entry floor, we extended the building with a rear-yard addition. Within that space we combined the kitchen, dining room, and sitting area into one open plan. We also included a bar, concealed behind a hand-carved door from India. On the lower floor, we developed the basement into a family room. It includes comfortable seating and a wet bar. It’s the perfect space to watch movies, hang-out, and relax.
Both upper and lower floor spaces open onto large, rear-yard decks. We connected the decks with spiral stair set among large trees. And despite the urban setting, there is a quality of privacy and greenery.
We combined indoor and outdoor spaces by installing two, large folding door systems. Both span over twenty feet in length. The kitchen-level is particularly striking because it is located on an interior corner, and the door folds closed along two adjacent walls.
We also added third floor dormers to create a master bedroom suite and home office. At this level, the bedroom has expansive views of the San Francisco skyline on two sides.
Designing these open spaces required extensive structural modifications. For instance, we inserted steel beams, columns and frames into the wood structure to allow for large open spans and walls mostly made of glass. These elements are hidden from view now, but required careful planning and coordination during construction.
Castro Architecture Collaborators:
Karen Merzenich, Interiors, Home-owner
