Hasta La Ideas

American architect Jeff Svitak has designed a house for himself nestled into a hillside in San Diego, complete with various outdoor spaces and an office for his practice.

Spanning three storeys and clad in blackened wood, Redwood House has a varied construction comprising cuboid volumes and outdoor walkways.  

The house measures 2,000 square feet (186 square metres) and is positioned near a canyon that runs through San Diego.

“The canyon created an essence for the house to work around and integrate with,” said Svitak.

The rear of the house overlooks a wooded ravine, while its street-facing facade remains more private. The house is accessed by a floating steel bridge and a sliding cedar front door.

Upon entering are a foyer, powder room and staircase. To the left is a galley kitchen, and on the other is a sitting and dining room.

The living area is cantilevered with a cornered section lined in glass, which creates an indoor-outdoor room suitable for Southern California’s warm climate.

These two areas are separated by an internal courtyard, yet linked by the front foyer and a rear deck, therefore creating a circular route around the floor plan.

“Instead of a blunt massing object between the street and the canyon, the house is divided into separate massing elements, which allow the canyon to enter into the spaces of the house and studio through a slim courtyard element,” said Svitak.

Upstairs are two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms. The second, larger room has an outdoor patio and overlooks a green roof.

In the basement is the owner’s architecture studio, which comprises a meeting room, work area, bathroom, private back terrace, and entry courtyard.

“The architectural footprint, while small, is vertically integrated to offer a wide array of living opportunities by complex yet refined geometry and spatial layouts,” Svitak said.

Architects often design combined homes and studios for themselves. Others that have recently completed this type of project include Moss in Chicago and Another Studio in Bulgaria.

Photography is by Onnis Luque unless stated otherwise.

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