Tehama Grasshopper is glasses building was designed by Fougeron Architecture located in San Francisco, CA, USA. Integration of old and new elements and competing urban forces brings this remodeled warehouse alive. The airy third-floor penthouse addition is the centerpiece of the design. The geometry of this sculptural object is a deliberate contrast to the orthogonal grid of the existing concrete structure. Three stories of interlocked spaces have distinct personalities and functions: office, main living area, and penthouse. The rigidity of the original concrete structure is broken down in a subtle interplay of light, surfaces, levels, and indoor and outdoor spaces making the urban living experience as richly textured as the city itself.

The penthouse addition, which gives the house its grasshopper name, uses solar orientation to determine the position of its solid walls and windows for a smart form of climate control. Cor-ten steel cladding and an ipê-wood deck were also chosen for durability and longevity.

The minimalist interior, however, doesn’t translate into minimal function. The adaptive transformation of this underutilized warehouse into a mixed-use building, with commercial and residential components, enhances the neighborhood and should breathe a little energy into the community itself.

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This entry was posted on Saturday, August 8th, 2009 at 2:05 pm and is filed under Concrete House, Featured, Modern House. Tags: climate control, concrete structure, cor ten steel, deliberate contrast, distinct personalities, floor penthouse, grasshopper, minimal function, minimalist interior, orthogonal grid, outdoor spaces, san francisco ca, sculptural object, solar orientation, steel cladding, subtle interplay, urban living, walls and windows, wood deck. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.