A Corner of Light and Air
This light-touch renewal of a mid-century modern house in San Francisco’s Marina District improves interior organization, backyard use, and new outdoor living areas on the garage roof and main roof, while preserving the home’s original character and responding to its views and coastal climate.
Site and Setting
Located in San Francisco’s Marina District, the project sits on a remarkable corner plot with a direct view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Palace of Fine Arts positioned just behind it. The existing house is a mid-century modern residence with a distinct character, shaped by its proportions, openness, and relationship to its surroundings.
New Outdoor Living Surfaces
Our approach was to intervene as lightly as possible. Rather than transforming the house through radical changes, the project focuses on precise functional improvements that strengthen the way the existing spaces are used. The backyard was reconsidered as an active extension of daily life, with new spatial and landscape decisions that make it more flexible, comfortable, and connected to the house.
Landscape and Climate Response
The landscape strategy brings together hardscape and softscape decisions suited to San Francisco’s coastal conditions. Durable surfaces, planted areas, and functional outdoor elements create a calm and practical environment, supporting a contemporary way of living while preserving the quiet strength of the original mid-century modern house.
Interior Optimization
Inside, the project optimizes the organization of the existing rooms through improvements in orientation, circulation, and use. Small but effective adjustments clarify the relationship between interior spaces, natural light, outdoor areas, and everyday routines.
Technical Scope
The project includes light architectural interventions to optimize the existing mid-century modern house, improve interior circulation and spatial use, redesign the backyard, and activate the garage roof and main roof as functional outdoor areas with climate-responsive hardscape and softscape solutions.
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