House by the Arroyo

The owner, wanting a meditative antidote to Silicon Valley rigor, worked again with designer Russell Groves to achieve sophisticated structure and impeccable finishes worthy of Architectural Digest. Familiar with each other but skeptical of new collaborators, they were drawn to the hard line. Through multiple rounds of drawings, we advanced each fraction of a studiously fine picture. Our forthrightness about problems and willingness to keep perfecting together gradually won trust, and in the end the most exacting eyes approved our delivery as their cleanest close-out seen. Joint dedication distilled the balance of sky and shelter, intelligence and simplicity. Secret grilles breathe heat from the crooks of ceilings as doors slip within walls, inviting sun and birdsong to attend a bath and putting the visible in service of the felt.

12,000 square feet
Napa, California

Groves & Co., Interior Designer
Leong Architects, Architect of Record
Lutsko Associates, Landscape Architect
Delta Consulting & Engineering, Civil Engineer
MKM & Associates, Structural Engineer
PJC Associates, Inc., Geotechnical Engineer
Truax Design Group, Lighting Designer
Performance Media Industries, Ltd., Audio Visual Engineering
Pound Management, Inc.,  Owner’s Representative