Situated in what was once known, according to native legend, as the Valley of the Moon, this stunning, contemporary home by San Francisco–based practice Butler Armsden Architects adopts the courtyard model popularized by the early architecture of the region, allowing this Sonoma County retreat to fully integrate into its environment and take advantage of the refuge provided by the valley.

The three-acre site is located within a 37-acre parcel of dedicated open space, so the home is secluded in tranquil settings, surrounded by native oaks and redwoods.

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The home is composed of three connected volumes of different heights that wrap around the central courtyard. A two-story volume holds open living spaces and bedrooms for the clients and their two children, and features horizontal siding that anchors the home into the landscape. In contrast, vertical siding has been used on the adjacent single-story volume, which houses additional rooms to accommodate visiting relatives.

The house generates its own electricity and hot water, while also regulating internal temperature through long roof overhangs and strategic siting that captures the valley breezes. This combination of state-of-the-art technology and natural sustainability helped earn the home a LEED Silver designation.

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Butler Armsden Architects, Lewis W. Butler
Builder/General Contractor: Thompson Suskind, Brad Suskin
Structural Engineer: Summit Engineering, Inc., Yi Yang
Landscape Design Company: Shades of Green, Ive Haugeland
Interior Design: Butler Armsden Architects, Glenda Flaim
Flooring: Amber Flooring, Amit Gabay