Ridgeline Residence
A sculpted hillside home that disappears into the oak canopy — post-and-beam structure, rammed-earth retaining walls, and floor-to-ceiling glazing aligned to the winter solstice sunrise.
The Challenge
The 2.4-acre sloped site presented a 38-foot grade change across the building envelope. Existing heritage oaks constrained the foundation footprint, and the county required a geotechnical study before any grading could begin. The client's vision — a single-level home that reads as landform rather than imposition — demanded a structural approach that had never been used on this ridge.
Our Approach
We proposed a hybrid post-and-beam over a concrete plinth. Six micro-pile caissons drilled to bedrock eliminated mass grading. The floor plate steps with the terrain in three separate decks, each two feet lower than the last, connected by brushed-steel bridges. Rammed-earth perimeter walls source soil from the excavation itself — zero off-haul, maximum thermal mass.
The Outcome
The completed home earned a 2024 AIA Bay Area Honor Award. Heating and cooling loads came in 44% below Title 24 baseline. The three heritage oaks remain within 6 feet of the structure, their root zones protected by a permeable gravel deck rather than poured concrete.
- custom home
- hillside
- rammed earth
- post-and-beam
- passive solar