Robertson Design

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A fairly simple house, the 2 Courtyard House has two distinctive features.  One is the 35′ cantilever of the 2nd floor.  The other is the atypical site plan with its dual courtyards in place of the traditional suburban backyard.  Both of these features are a direct result of 3 fairly prosaic goals: the client’s desire for privacy, an efficient use of the pie-shaped lot, and a facade that isn’t dominated by a garage door.  Layered over these was our inclination to create a highly choreographed and beautiful entry experience.  The building itself consists of 2 rectangular volumes that are connected by a glazed hallway.  The public spaces are all contained in in the single story eastern volume, while the 2 story western volume houses the private portions of the program.   The controlled and somewhat somber palette of white, gray, and black tones was very carefully managed and lends the project a calm and quiet demeanor.  (It is worth noting that it was developed from the colors of their cat!)  To enter the house one goes through the gate that is under the large expanse of the cantilevered 2nd floor and then passes through the first courtyard that is just behind the front concrete wall.  The actual entry door is in the hallway that connects the volumes and divides the courtyards.  Once inside, one passes along the second courtyard before stepping into the large volume of the living space.

Photos by J.R. Woody Photography & Jack Thompson