Hello and welcome to a post where we are going to feature a contemporary masterpiece by a California-based design studio Swatt Miers Architects. They have designed the Garay House, which is a contemporary residence that was completed in 2010 and can be found in Tiburon, California, USA. 
From the architects: “The owners wished of one day transforming their low, one-story home into a setting befitting their spectacular site perched above San Francisco Bay. Their dreams began to be realized in 2005 with the design of an extention, coupled with the complete renovation of their existing contemporary Californian house. The site is a half-acre south-facing hillside parcel, with unobstructed views of San Francisco Bay to the south, east and west. Responding to the physical conditions of the site, the new contemporary Californian house is almost entirely opaque on the north side where a new entrance motor court is defined by a rhythm of five ‘free-standing’ stone-clad walls. Slivers of glass separate the stone panels, creating a strong rhythm while giving little hint of the extraordinary spaces and views on the other side. The progression of space begins with a low, compressed entry, leading to a higher circulation spine. Bathed in light from clerestory windows and skylights, the spine overlooks the new living, dining and kitchen ‘pavilion’, and new south-facing terraces, with world-class views of San Francisco Bay beyond. Frameless glazing, pocketing glass doors, and dramatic cantilevered roof extensions seamlessly connect interior space to exterior space, blurring the boundary between two.”
Photographs by: Russell Abraham
