Previous pages: Sitting at the top of a ridge, this
new home by architect Neal Schwartz makes the
most of the sun and mountain views to the south.
The T-shaped layout frames the pool, as well as
allowing the separation of the living spaces from
the more private bedroom wing.
Above: Mature oak trees draped with lichen create
a striking approach to the site. From this side, the
house is deliberately low slung and muted in its
setting – materials such as the cedar cladding and
Corten steel used for planters were selected for
their natural look and patina they acquire over time.
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There are many features of a site that
might be considered when designing a
home for it – its orientation to the sun and
views, the slope, the position of neighbours
and so on. And while this home needed to
take account of all those factors, it also had
an additional, more unusual influence.
Architect Neal Schwartz of Schwartz
and Architecture says that from the first
time he drove up the very steep road, the
most impressive thing about the site was
the stand of mature oak trees he found
when he reached the top.
“The oaks were filled with lichen
draped through all the branches,” he says.
“It was a really striking way to arrive – to
be on this ridge in this beautiful new set-
ting, surrounded by all these trees.”
After researching the lichen, Schwartz
embraced some of its characteristics in the
house, which he sited along the ridge.
“The lichen has a symbiotic relationship
with the oaks, and we wanted this to be a
model for how the architecture operated
in the landscape – a symbiotic relationship
rather than one of dominance.”