Docents will receive a complimentary ticket as thanks for their time. Even if you do not have a reliable mode of transportation, please sign up anyway! We will work with you to coordinate carpooling with your fellow docents.
This Year's Homes
Gravatt Remodel
Architecture Firm: WA Design
Landscape Architect: David Bigham
The Gravatt home dates from 1937 and was one of the first homes in the then sparsely populated hills above the Claremont Hotel. It is rumored that even then the site was selected for it’s unusually expansive San Francisco Bay views.
The clients purchased the home in 2019 with the idea in mind of a renovation that would finally tie the architecture together. Working together, we established initial design goals to remove walls and introduce an open floor plan more conducive to entertaining. At the same time, we wanted to create private study spaces, and spaces for practicing music and accommodating their visiting children.
Radiant Hills House
Architecture Firm: Design Draw Build
Perched in the Oakland Hills, the home’s radiant interior spaces have been designed to take advantage of the home’s orientation to the surrounding trees and views of the Bay. This mid-century modern renovation opens up the kitchen and common spaces to an expansive cedar deck while new additions provide a primary suite and sunken living room for intimate gathering. Each of these additions pop up above the datum of the existing roof line, capturing natural light through the clerestories and creating anchors at either end of the home. These forms are highlighted further through the use of copper shingle cladding, reclaimed from airplane hangars.
Posen Home
Architecture Firm: Mikiten Architecture
The story of new home is one of transforming the future of a family of four after their 5-year-old daughter’s diagnosis with a degenerative brain disease affecting motor skills. Their beautiful wooded house isolated in the Berkeley Hills would become unusable as their daughter’s ability to move on her own gradually disappeared.
Permissions in hand, we dove into design details. The tight lot (and the client’s profound life changes) inspired an inward-looking approach: a Zen courtyard to reimagine the peacefulness of their prior wooded site. We took cues from Japanese architecture, Mondrian composition, and the hunkered-down horizontal lines of much of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work, a favorite of the client.
We all crave meaningful connections, and for this house we recreated a connection with nature in an unlikely place, which allows this family to strengthen their connections with each other through all their life changes. It shows the power a home can have for helping transform a life of uncertainty and apprehension to one of hope and peace.
Evelyn Ave.
Architecture Firm: Eisenmann Architecture
A couple with two small children needed an addition to their family home. Their California bungalow lacked a comfortable living space, and they decided on a second story for family bedrooms and a lower level extension of the public spaces.
A large portion of the existing house was gutted and reorganized, leaving little untouched. The main level includes an open planned living room, dining room, kitchen, and family room that collectively extends from the front entry to the back of the house. This visually unifies the living spaces and connects them to the front and rear gardens. The kitchen, embedded between the living and dining rooms, creates a compression that naturally organizes the different spaces. Windows are located to encourage light in the tight urban layout. Overall, the design utilizes minimal architectural elements while bringing warmth and creativity into the heart of the home.
Marr Ave.
Architecture Firm: Ogle Design & Architecture
Photographer: Patrik Argast
Marr Ave., built in 1951, served as the residence of its original owners for over 60 years. In 2019, the current owners, after an extensive search, acquired the property with a clear vision of what they wanted to create together.
After nine months of studying the house’s needs, planning, and assembling a team, the couple embarked on a comprehensive renovation project in March 2020. They designed a master living suite on the upper level to facilitate one-floor living in the future. They also expanded the lower level by over 1,100 square feet by moving a wall. This transformation resulted in a comfortable media room for family time with their dogs, an area for a gaming table, as well as functional offices, guest accommodations, and a bar. Ultimately, the home offers an ideal setting to enjoy breathtaking views of four Bay Area bridges, day or night.
Interested in including your project in next year’s Home tours? You can submit any home via the form below, or reach out to us at info@aiaeb.org with any questions.