Envisioned as a singular continuous, flowing expression, this family estate links architecture, interior design, art and landscape into an integrated whole. Unified around the central “home base” living area, views radiate across several reflecting pools to gardens and the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. The residence includes three auxiliary buildings and extensive outdoor living areas, but the subdued sophistication of the design helps dissolve the home into its verdant site.
Project Name: California Meadow House
Studio Name: Olson Kundig
Built: Completed 2017
Project Size: 17,000 SF
Location: Woodside, California, USA
Photography: Matthew Millman
Spaces between the home’s various structures engage the landscape, which is organized into two interconnected parts. The cultivated portion of the site, with vineyards and olive tree groves, contains the “public” areas of the house, including living, dining and entertainment areas.The other side of the site, delineated by an infinity pool and gentle slope, opens into uncultivated meadow space. An earthy exterior palette inspired by the California woodland setting continues inside the home, which features a collection of custom furniture and lighting designed by Jim Olson. The result is a home integrated with nature, not only philosophically and visually, but from a practical perspective as well.
“I always think of houses as something that should last for 500 years. If they have a long life, and they’re flexible enough to be used in a variety of ways, then future generations can take advantage of them for whatever their needs are. At Meadow House, we’ve done something that doesn’t have to be torn down or replaced. It can keep serving people for many years to come.” –Jim Olson, FAIA, Design Principal
Key Consultants:
- Barnett Company, General Contractor
- MacLeod and Associates, Civil Engineer
- Surfacedesign, Landscape Architect
- PCS, Structural Engineer
- WSP Group, Mechanical Engineer
- Susanna Van Leuven, Electrical Engineer
- BHLD, Lighting Design
- Barker Company, Home Automation/AV
- Phil Finer Refrigeration & Aire Conditioning, Inc., Wine Storage
OLSON KUNDIG
Olson Kundig is a collaborative global design practice whose work expands the context of built and natural landscapes. Led by five owners, the firm’s work can be found in more than fifteen countries on five continents, with projects ranging from cultural and museum projects to exhibition design, commercial and mixed-use design, private and multi-family residential, hospitality projects, places of worship, interior design, product design and landscape design.
