Vineyard Residence

2026 Design Award Recipient-Merit

Perched above 50 acres of vineyard with sweeping hilltop views, this compact T-shaped home is thoughtfully integrated into the natural slope of the site. Primary living spaces and adjacent outdoor areas sit at grade, creating a seamless connection between architecture and landscape. The “right-sized” layout emphasizes simplicity, comfort, and connection to place. A bedroom wing buffers prevailing western winds, enhancing indoor comfort while preserving fluid indoor-outdoor living. Private bedroom suites flank a central kitchen and living area that opens to outdoor entertaining spaces at both ends. To the west, a covered dining banquette frames filtered vineyard views; to the east, a generous terrace with an outdoor fireplace captures panoramic hillside vistas. A one-room-wide plan allows for cross-ventilation and abundant daylight, while expansive glazing makes the modest footprint feel open and spacious. The west-sloping shed roof maximizes solar exposure and supports a photovoltaic array that offsets energy use. Deep overhangs provide passive shading and shelter outdoor gathering areas. Sustainability informs every aspect of the design, from passive strategies and energy systems to durable, low-maintenance materials that echo the character of neighboring vineyard structures. Inside, a refined palette of white oak paneling, hand-troweled plaster, burnished concrete floors, and restrained stone and steel accents creates warmth and tactile richness. Clean-lined furnishings reinforce the home’s clarity and craftsmanship. Rooted in its agricultural context, the architecture balances modern refinement with rustic restraint, demonstrating how sustainable living can be elegant, responsive, and deeply connected to place.

//jury comments

The jury appreciates the simple massing that is exceptionally drawn into the landscape with the structurally and materially expressive roof. Handsome finish material pallet and deft detailing provide an enriching backdrop to the primary experience of extending into the hills beyond the reach of the roof plane. It intentionally feels like it has been in place for a long time. Weathered, streaked, lived in, honest and of the place.

//framework for design excellence measures

Measure 1: Design for Integration

A one-room-wide configuration ensures every space benefits from cross-ventilation and daylight, while expansive glazing strategically frames the most dramatic views, making the modest footprint feel spacious and open. The shed roof slopes westward, optimized for maximum solar exposure and fitted with a rooftop photovoltaic array that offsets the home’s energy use. Deep overhangs provide passive solar shading, reducing heat gain while offering shelter and comfort over outdoor gathering areas. Sustainability is embedded throughout the design—not only in its passive strategies and energy-generating systems, but also in its material choices and low-impact approach to maintenance. Exterior materials are warm and wildfire resilient, echoing the character of neighboring vineyard structures but refined for residential living. Interior finishes were selected not only for their visual restraint, but for their performance: clean-lined, natural, and easy to maintain—ideal for a house intended for entertaining and part-time use. Locally sourced, non-toxic materials promote healthier indoor-air quality and support a more sustainable supply chain.

Measure 2: Design for Equitable Communities

During Land Use Permit application there is a period of time for public input. As the house is set back deep into the property and cannot be seen from the road or primary neighbors, there were no objections or opinions presented during this time-period. The surrounding rural ag community is mainly comprised of other farms, vineyards, and ranchettes, many of whom have recognized the project as elevating the design culture of the area.

Measure 3: Design for Ecosystems

The home allows the landscape to come right up to the building. Taking care to see the land is left in as natural a state as possible, plantings around the house are drought resistant, native species, that eliminate irrigation needs after establishment and bleed into graded areas that were reseeded with native grasses and wildflowers. The native plants continue to be pollinators for insects, birds, etc. promoting biodiversity, habitat conservation and flora/fauna. The home's operable windows are open whenever possible to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the hillsides throughout the day.

Measure 4: Design for Water

High-efficiency CalGreen compliant plumbing fixtures minimize water usage by occupants. While the house is equipped with a high-efficiency air conditioning system, the location and high performing building envelope allow the occupants to live comfortably year-round without the need for air conditioning. Water catchment basins collect and dissipate rainwater from 100% of the roofed areas of the house and release it slowly back into the water table for recharge.

Measure 5: Design for Economy

Considering its rural, remote setting, the cost/SF number is modest in comparison with many/most similar contemporaneous homes. Custom single-family houses in this coastal region often eclipse $1,000/sf in GSF new construction costs, prompting the design team to find a creative solution to stretch budget dollars, while maintaining a high level of craft, and keep the project below $800/sf during a period of extreme inflation. Materials were sourced at closer proximity to the project site to avoid shipping related disruptions stemming from the global pandemic. Indoor/outdoor covered spaces are used for living, dining, entertaining and work.

Measure 6: Design for Energy

Sited for optimal solar orientation, generous overhangs and glazing directions were analyzed to allow for solar penetration during the winter months, while controlling heat gain in the summer. Complimented by passive cooling strategies achieved by covered exterior terraces, large openings maximize natural ventilation, while an ERV ensures that mechanical ventilation remains as efficient as possible. Heating and cooling systems, used only when needed, is a series of electric heat pumps on separately zoned thermostats. All lighting is LED. A 2.44 kWh DC photovoltaic array installed on the southwest facing shed roof, offsets reliance on utility provided energy through net metering.

Measure 7: Design for Well-Being

Natural light, dramatic views, and plenty of natural ventilation connect the occupants to the natural environment that surrounds this home. To avoid excessive heat gain, deep overhangs reduce solar exposure and glare on glazing while encouraging natural light to bounce off the ceilings and deep into spaces. The majority of the day the home does not require artificial light for occupancy. Almost every room in the house can be passively cooled via cross ventilation. There were no toxic chemicals used. Every finish or coating met California standards for zero VOC.

Measure 8: Design for Resources

A spartan material palette (weathering steel and plaster) was chosen for practicality and resilience, to perform with limited maintenance, and procurement within 500 miles of the project site to reduce embodied energy and transportation emissions. Weathering steel offered a resilient solution to achieve the 100-year building goal. In a wildfire risk area, steel is an obvious choice for constructing a building that can endure. Steel’s high carbon footprint is counterbalanced by its longevity and end-of-life options. Interior wall paneling is white Oak; casework is Walnut, white Oak or painted Birch; showers are plaster; and countertops are Quartzite or concrete.

Measure 9: Design for Change

In addition to earthquake safety, the design prioritized wildfire resilience. Along with careful site planning, landscape interface, and ignition resistance, an innovative roof assembly incorporated a Class A rated underlayment between a Corten standing seam panel and metal deck, creating greater resilience. A 20.88kWh solar array enables essential components to remain operational for a limited time during power disruptions. An HRV with MERV 13 filtration ensures that the air in the home remains free from wildfire smoke during California’s ever expanding fire season. Drought tolerant plantings were selected to eliminate the need for irrigation once the plants are established.

Measure 10: Design for Discovery

A simple post-occupancy analysis was provided to the client since project completion to evaluate the function and performance of the house and its systems. The clients have now been using the home as a residence and for winery entertaining uses for just at a year since occupancy. Feedback is very positive regarding all systems. The indoor/outdoor living experience exceeds expectations and occupants really feel like they are part of the hillside. A year two evaluation will focus on energy usage and performance of the photovoltaic system.