Fougeron Architecture

Wavelet House

Wavelet House 

Fougeron Architecture

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
Gretchen Whittier, Arterra Landscape Architects

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Anne Fougeron

DESIGN TEAM
Todd Aranaz, Megan Hannon, Niraj Kapadia

MANUFACTURERS
Blonberg

ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > STRUCTURAL
Paul Endres

PHOTOGRAPHS
Joe Fletcher

AREA
3665 Ft²

YEAR
2024

LOCATION
Los Altos, United States

CATEGORY
Residential Architecture, Houses

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

Text description provided by architect.

Eichler's mid-century modern stylings are abundant in Northern and Southern California and Wavelet House is a reconsideration of the area's architectural precedent.

Set on a narrow lot with side-yard setbacks, the evocative mid-century façade belies an unexpected rear that is more modern.

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

The metal and wood slats of the entrance are quite aesthetically pleasing and offer additional privacy to the residents. The material asymmetry in the front courtyard is a nod to the playfulness of the back of the home.

The rear of the home, which is encased in a curtain-wall façade that is nearly three stories at its apex, adds a lightness against the angularity of the metal roof overhang.

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

Part of the inspiration for this unique structure emerged from the constraints of the local planning department, which prefers stepped-in roofs that resemble a wedding cake.

The roof was conceived as a kind of umbrella and the undulating lines and hard angles of the structure are a play on the traditional pitched roof.

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

Rather than creating a peak as a singular axis on the house, the metal planes rise and fall, drawing the eye along the entire silhouette of the home.

From the entryway to the library, the overhang folds over, its aluminum fins cascading along the exterior of the house. This roof is purposefully sculptural, deliberately abstract, with no light fixtures.

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

Inside, the dramatic structure is visible throughout the second and third floors and in the primary bedroom, the ceiling is awash in the white planes.

The 16' perforated overhang provides much-needed shade on the patio and primary bedroom without weighing down the sightline.

All the exterior glass doors are retractable. This flexibility—along with the provided shade and the solar orientation of the home—maximizes airflow and cross-ventilation, dramatically decreasing the need for artificial climate control.

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

The house is encased by three below-grade courtyards which interweave, maximizing natural light, and outdoor space and anchoring the house on its site.

The music room, guest bedroom and office each have access to their own courtyard. Despite the openness of the home, the courtyards help enclose space and deliberately create pockets of privacy.

Inside, a two-story library serves as the heart of the house, with other rooms branching off on all floors.

Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher

The room is encased in glass, with custom shelving made of cedar and steel, that is meant to echo the slats of the exterior.

These shelves also serve as semi-transparent delineators of the space, guiding the eye from room to room. The library is the locus of the home.


Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher
Wavelet House
© Joe Fletcher


Wavelet House
Basement Floor Plan
Wavelet House
Ground Floor Plan
Wavelet House
1st Floor Plan
Wavelet House
Diagrams


Wavelet House
Sections
Wavelet House
Elevations

Fougeron Architecture
T +1 415 6415744 F +1 415 2826434
Fougeron Architecture
521 Francisco St, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States