N a b e s h i m a   /   K a h l e   H o u s e

 

view from above at dusk

exterior view

stone-weighted entry gate 

vertical lift doors

living room

dining room	vertical lift door

rolling bookcase/door	stairway

chain downspout and catch-basin

south facing bay window

exterior

 

This house was designed and built in the tradition of California regionalism with flowing indoor/outdoor spaces, exposed materials, and expressive detailing.  The site for the Nabeshima/Kahle house, in the area destroyed by the Oakland firestorm, was especially challenging because of its small and triangular lot shape, its position in a tightly hemmed cul de sac, and its proximity to an eight lane freeway.  The house responds to these constraints by nestling into the large corner of the triangular lot and opening to the east with a two-story glass wall.  The transparent wall incorporates vertical lift doors at the large living area and barn doors at each bedroom to create direct connections with the garden from every main interior space.  These fluid connections and the 26-foot high ceilings make the 1,600 square-foot house feel much larger than it actually is.

As with all our work, a strong commitment to the environment was carried throughout the design and construction of this project.  Every opportunity was taken to incorporate elements from the site into the architecture, such as a stone step for the bathtub and columns carved from trees killed by the fire. Radiant floor heating, recycled cellulose insulation and thermal mass are combined to create a very comfortable and energy efficient living space.  In order to reduce timber demand, recycled wood was used where possible and glulams and parallams carry the main structural loads.  The concrete form boards were reused as many as four times for successive concrete pours before being sanded and reused as the finished ceiling in the main living space.  Rainwater from the roof, in order to be reused for irrigation, is collected in a cistern through a sculptural catch basin, and native and drought resistant plants dominate the landscaping.
 

Recognition for Nabeshima/Kahle House:

Creating the Inspired House: Discovering Your Place Called Home by John Connell (The Taunton Press, 2004)
Good Green Homes, by Jennifer Roberts (Gibbs Smith, 2003)
Diablo Magazine, "Up From the Ashes," October 2001
The Monclarion, Piedmonter, Berkeley Voice, & The Journal, “A Sunny Dispostion,” February 1999
Atrium, “A Nyitott Haz,” February/March 1998 (Article in Hungarian magazine)
Sunset Magazine, “A Concrete Revival,” March 1997
Sunset Magazine, “Eco-Wise, A House for All Seasons,” April 1997
1996 East Bay AIA Design Award residential design of the Nabeshima/Kahle House, 1996
Sunset Magazine, 1996 Interior Design Awards,” October 1996
Progressive Architecture, “A Maturing Green Architecture,” January 1995