Tile & Brick

Two-tone cabinets anchor the kitchen, including stained white oak on the bottom and white uppers.

1064 Via Alta in Lafayette, California, is currently listed for $2,785,000 by The Linnette Team of Abio Properties.

The steps that lead from the covered patio down to the pool are crafted by a local brand, creating a connection between the built form and the site.

The walls of Casa Ter are made from local clay. The texture of the facade mimics the patina of the time-worn walls of the nearby town.

“Our creative process is rooted in a process of questioning and listening, and we design our architecture based on values, not a particular aesthetic style,” says architect Benjamin Iborra Wicksteed. “It is why this home is almost tailor made for our client.”

Working with local professionals, materials, and techniques helped the project stay on budget, as the home was designed and constructed based on resources already present in the region.

The clay used to construct the walls doesn’t just have a structural role— it also creates various textures that help the home blend into the surrounding landscape. To keep within budget, the structure of the home was kept as simple as possible—with the notable exception of the soaring vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom.

“Genius loci is one of our approaches to sustainability,” says architect Benjamin Iborra Wicksteed. As a result of this approach, materials were sourced hyper locally—such as stones from the River Ter.

Steps lead down the sloped site from the patio to the pool, allowing the home to “drape” over the topography.

A wall of three-inch-wide cedar slats contrasts with the tile backsplash.

The brick wall was intended to introduce an element of warmth into the living room.

The use of brick in the apartment was inspired by the external facade of the block.

Timber inlay in the cement screed demarcates thresholds.

The focus of the renovation was the kitchen, where the textures of tiles and brickwork play backdrop to considered, bespoke carpentry.