Hermosa Residence

This new-build house for a family of four is sited on a beautiful large lot, featuring numerous mature trees which give it almost a park-like setting. With such an incredible site, one of the core themes of the project was a connection to the outdoors. The house features extensive floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors looking inward on a central garden courtyard. This beautifully curated natural setting provides a calming connection to the outdoors, visible from almost anywhere in the house. The connection with the outdoors continues at the back of the house as well, with the main living spaces—kitchen, living, and dining rooms—all opening onto a large rear yard, terraces, and in-ground pool.

The house prioritizes energy efficiency, using passive sustainable features like rooftop solar panels, radiant hydronic heating, and a whole-house fan which provides passive cooling and eliminates the need for air conditioning. The extensive windows and skylights mean the house is bathed in natural light, which also reduces the reliance on artificial lighting.

Completed 2017      /      Menlo Park, CA      /      6,922 Sq. Ft.

Photography: Paul Dyer

Completed while at John Lum Architecture