Instead of demolishing this down-at-the-heels home in Sonoma, Calif., Cooper Joseph Studio executed an intervention that opened the entire home to the outdoors and won a merit award in the process.
Because the clients wanted the home to be as sustainable as possible, the architects retained the roof and mechanical systems and removed some of the walls in favor of glass for additional daylighting opportunities. A steel structure and moment frame creates expansive interiors, uniting the basement space with the kitchen/dining room above.
Oak floors, cabinetry, stairs, and railings lend a warm feeling to the revamped interior. The architects reused the old kitchen cabinets, windows, and doors in an agricultural shed on the property and also added a solar array in a remote location on the site.