Ridge Residence
The exterior entry from the street (to right) early in the evening. The lower walls are clad in charcoal-stained reclaimed wood placed vertically while the upper exterior walls are smooth stucco. A private entrance is created by offsetting the vertical aligned western red cedar timbers of the brise-soleil. The brise-soleil is formed with steel skeleton connected to the house as well as anchored into the ground. The offset wood screen (brise-soleil) creates a path between the exterior walls of the house and the exterior planters (see next photo) which leads to a quiet pond at the top of the low-rise concrete steps and eventually the entry door to the residence: A vertical courtyard / garden buffer. The lighting is integral to the steel handrail that climbs the steps. A pivot gate (shown in the opening position) lies at the first concrete landing. The run of steps is divided into three equal runs flanked on each side by Coral Bells and Philodendrons. The backside of the western red cedar screen glows at night and day as light graces the surface.