IN THIS PROJECT, THE CONCEPT OF “BORROWING”, I.E. SHARING DESIREABLE AMENITIES BETWEEN OWNERS, PLAYS AN IMPORTANT PART IN ITS CONCEPTURAL DEVELOPMENT. SIMPLY, THE DESIGN INTENTION IS TO COMBINE TWO INDIVIDUAL LOTS INTO ONE, SHARED LANDSCAPE. THE RESULTING RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECURE THEN SUPPORTS THE GREATER GESTALT OF THE SITE, BECOMING MORE BACKDROP TO THE IMPORTANT RURAL CONTEXT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT IN MY ARCHTECTURAL DEVELOPMENT, SINCE, THE SITE LITERALLY BECOMES THE PERCEPTIVE VALUE OF CONTEXT, NOT THE ARCHITECTURE. THEREFORE, THIS IS NOT ARCHITECTURE AS A BRIGHT, SHINEY OBJECT, BUT RATHER, “A PIECE OF THE CONTINENT, A PART OF THE MAIN.”

DESIGNED FOR A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER, CO-OWNERS OF TWO ADJACENT LOTS, THE PROJECT SETS OUT TO UNIFY AN EXISITNG GUEST HOUSE AND MAIN HOUSE WITHIN THE GREATER CONTEXT OF THE SITE. THE DESIGN APPROACH FOCUSES ON SHARING A NEGLECTED ORCHARD AND POSITIONING THE RENOVATIONS AROUND THIS AGARIAN AMENITY SPACE. THE ORCHARD BECOMES A SYMBOL FOR THE PROPERTY, SUGGESTING ITS OWNER’S SENSITIVITY TO PLACE, THE DAILY RITUALS OF WORK AND SUSTENANCE IN THE VALLEY

THE EXISTING GUEST HOUSE AND RV GARAGE IS DESIGNED TO BECOME THE SECOND OF TWO MAIN HOUSES. THE EXISTING MAIN HOUSE IS REDESIGNED TO OPEN TO THE RECLAIMED ORCHARD AND TO CREATE PRIVACY, AS SEEN IN ITS NEW INTERNAL COURTYARD . AN EXISTING GARAGE SPACE IS REDESIGNED AS AN EXERCISE AND POOL HOUSE, WHICH CAN ALSO BE USED AS A GUEST HOUSE FOR BOTH RESIDENCES.

A PICKERS TOWER, OR SERVICE BUILDING FOR STORAGE OF TOOLS RELATED TO THE ORCHARD, MARKS THE NEW VEHICULAR ENTRY. THE DRIVEWAY IS RE-DESIGNED TO BE MORE A TREE-LINED, COUNTRY LANE, A GENTLY CURVING PATH ALONG A STONE WALL, SEPARATING THE ORCHARD FROM THE TWO HOME SITES. IT SHOULD BE MENTIONED THE ORCHARD BENIFITS FROM FLOOD IRRIGATION AND DESIGNED TO BE 18-INCHES BELOW THE ADJCENT DRIVEWAY. THE CONCEPT OF BORROWING PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THIS PROJECT, A CONCEPT THAT PRESENTS MANY OPPORTUNITIES IN BOTH SITE AND BUILDING DESIGN.