Craig Steely Architecture Designs A Roofless House In Silicon Valley

American studio Craig Steely Architecture has created an oasis of calm in Silicon Valley by encircling a multi-part home with an undulating wooden wall. The family home in Atherton has been suitably named the ‘Roofless House’.

The client requested a home that offered outdoor space for entertaining and relaxing; but the plot shape was narrow, and offered only awkward views of surrounding properties. “Her view on all sides was of the backs of neighboring houses which, like most typical suburban houses, are huge and blank”, explained the studio. Looking beyond these horizontal views, the architects decided to focus on the expanse of sky above—to frame this skywards view, they created a wooden wall that stands at 14.5 feet and wraps around the home and garden. “What sets this building apart is the continuous curving wall that surrounds it”, the architects note. “It fully encloses the house, blocking out the less desirable views, focusing on the more meaningful views, and creating interest as the sunlight and shadows move through the day along its surfaces.” Inside the wall stands a series of wooden buildings set around open-air courtyards, and linked by a semi-enclosed breezeway. The house is divided into two main sections, one which contains the social areas—the kitchen, living and lounge spaces, whilst the other holds the bedrooms. This home adds to an expanding collection of innovative homes by Craig Steely Architecture, you can read about past projects that we have featured here.