The Cube

"The Cube" was envisioned with wildfire safety as the utmost priority. Following the CZU fire that raged through the Santa Cruz mountains in 2020, there was a very big concern for fire safety and resistance. We chose to use only low maintenance materials like Corten steel and concrete/ CMU block so that the house remains fire resistant in any future disasters, giving our clients invaluable peace of mind for their families and their memories.

This posed another concern for energy efficiency and being that steel transfers heat very quickly, we installed a rain screen system that allows back ventilation and keeps the building cool. The light bars on the outside face are also housed with a rain screen.

Thoughtful design decisions, such as minimizing west-facing windows to reduce solar heat gain, adorning the roof with solar panels and selecting environmentally-conscious materials, further underscored the eco-friendly approach to our design. Its meticulously thoughtful floor plan eliminates excess, and showcases luxury meeting eco-consciousness.

This guest house turned art piece blurs the lines between art and function. The Cube is a captivating space nestled within the dense redwood forest of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Seamlessly integrated with its surroundings, it stands as an art piece first, and a guest house second. Our goal was to not only preserve the beauty of the surrounding environment, but to create a functional space that served as an artistic backdrop for the owners and their guests.

Its strategic light bar illumination that mimics the redwood trees behind it transforms the night into a mesmerizing spectacle. The light helps with drawing attention to its architectural brilliance and linearity and sets a tone for what the guest will find inside.
One of our recurring goals for design is to leave the viewer with the question: ‘how did they do that?’. The door, which is built like a bank vault, cannot be distinguished from the outside. Designed as an enigmatic piece of art, the home conceals its true function, inviting curiosity and wonder beyond the hidden front door.

Inside the first thing the guests see is an architectural feat: a cantilevered corner window that gives the illusion of floating amongst the treetops. The precision in construction posed a challenge, with tolerances of no more than 1/16th of an inch throughout the house and a seamless connection of the windows to the floor.

There is another piece of art within the house that also functions as a massive floor to ceiling sliding door, sectioning the primary bedroom and bathroom from the living area. Whilst laying in bed or in the bathtub guests are about 50 feet up into the trees, lounging amongst the birds and replacing any need for a television.

The Cube transcends the boundaries of conventional architecture in many ways. It is not merely a dwelling but an artistic spectacle that harmoniously blends form and function, with a respect to the surrounding nature.

Site: Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Square Footage: 1,400 square feet. 700 square feet on the upper story, 700 square feet for the garage below.