DOW HOUSE 

Located on a southwestern slope with specimen oaks and views to California’s coastal range, this primary residence is designed to adapt to the changing needs of a growing family and to engage its owners in a dialogue between traditional and modern formal and material strategies. Sited just below a ridge, the house is organized under a large shed roof that wraps the slope and shapes an entry court. It is punctuated by various dormers for light, views, and headroom. The fluid plan and open trusses shape a great room that encompasses the central activities of family life. Two major wings interrupt this dominant shed: the children’s wing—a gabled roof and traditional detailing, and the parents’ retreat—a two-story modernist shed.

Photography credit: Cesar Rubio