Sendo

Delineation – an area/space is differentiated from local and global context.
Pause- space designed for self-cultivation.
Interface – a porous membrane that seeks to filter/modulate intensities, not separate.

The program calls for an eight unit building with each having two parking spots, a large storage space, and a communal multi-purpose room and wine cellar. Each unit needed to have a prominent view of the city.
The site is located on the ascent of a hill; that affords expansive views to the city and surrounding hills to the north. The plot has an irregular triangular shape with steep topography.
All the units were placed parallel to the street towards the view; due to the slimness of the lot this limited their footprint. Units had to morph into each other to negotiate the optimal layout for cross ventilation and natural lighting. As a result all units have at least two sides facing a terrace, courtyard or garden.
The road adjacent to the site has heavy traffic during morning and afternoon rush hours. An acoustic wall/interface was designed to block noise from the street and assure a unique silent area with-in a noisy urban setting. The interface surrounds the whole building. To the north is equipped with shutters that guard against hot, dry and dusty Santa Ana winds, it shelters each unit from cold winter winds, if needed the shutters can also be closed to provide privacy or completely opened to have a direct link to the city. To the east the interface is designed as a louver to mitigate sun and filter views. The south side is designed to allow filtered sunlight into the courtyard. Several light wells penetrate into different levels of the building allowing diffuse lighting to gently illuminate some units, they also double as hot air ventilation chimneys during the summer.