Eilien&Kim's Menlo Park New Home and Detached ADU
Eilien and Kim's property relatively small property is located at the end of a long oak-tree-lined driveway. Once past the huge 55" oak tree, the property reveals a grove of 40" redwoods, as well as two gargantuan 65" redwoods smack dab in the middle of the buildable area. Eilien and Kim desired a home that celebrates these beautiful mature trees and that blended the indoor-outdoor barrier.
The home that Aardvark Architecture designed for their family takes the shape of a pseudo-courtyard home built right up to the critical root zones of the gargantuan redwoods in the middle of the lot. Full-height sliding glass doors are centered on these huge trees and open directly onto a large deck built tight to these unique feature trees.
A rich material palette of redwood siding and brick veneer blends in harmoniously with the serenely wooded site. Large banks of skylights allow for views of the huge oak tree canopy that would otherwise have been blocked off by other spaces.
The second floor is accessed by a light-filled staircase that wraps around a redwood-clad elevator shaft. When coming down the stairs, the full-height windows direct the eye towards a grove of 40" redwood trees.
The second floor hosts a luxurious master suite, as well as a second bedroom and a home gym. These spaces are raised up into the canopy of the mature redwood and oak trees, and incorporate full-height windows so the residents can take full advantage of these beautiful specimens.