WEISS/CHURCHILL RESIDENCE
San Diego, CA

 

The  project is a remodel of an existing 700 sq. ft. residence with a 1200 sq. ft. addition;  artist/loft type space utilized as living/work space for artist/clients (a husband/wife muralizing team). The site is
located in Encanto, a
neighborhood of southeast San Diego.  It  is situated below street level on  a hillside lot with views to the south and southwest.

The design was inspired by the clients' desire for sci-fi imagery;  specifically their fascination with "The Tardis," a time machine in
"Dr. Who" (an english sci-fi series).  This becomes the pivotal concept
of this project.  An arced bridge
acts as a threshold between two worlds;  linking the street to an
eight-foot-square entrance tower
or "time machine" that transports
the individual from one world to another.  Once inside, a new realm unfolds.  The space opens dramatically to reveal a volume sculpted by the three levels below.

The building traces the slope and becomes a narrative of the terrain.  An emphasis on movement is accentuated as surfaces angle forming a forced perspective);  gesturing to pull one forward into
the space.  The visual perspective extends beyond a seemingly transparent wall of exposed wood and glass construction to the views of hills beyond and of existing pepper trees framing the decks. 
At one section, the transparent wall is obstructed by a large square.  It floats, as if suspended in a web of light  Metaphorically, it is a window for reflection;  becoming a canvas,
a mirror for the clients' creative expressions.

The central volume (containing living, dining, kitchen, office and studio areas), becomes the core space from which all other spaces radiate. The existing structure, transformed into bedrooms at the upper level and a library at the lower, are provided with direct access to the core.  A separate structure, the bathroom rotunda,
is a pure simple round form.  It completes the composition by contrasting with the  square tower.