Description

This “Wedding Cake” lodge combines two of the client’s favorite buildings, the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite and the Gamble House by the Green Brothers in Pasadena. These historic buildings seem to capture the essence of the Arts and Crafts movement in the western united states. Both were created by architects who had a hands-on relationship with materials and spaces. Both attempted to respond to the natural beauty of the site. Both elevate the woodworking craft to its highest level.

Sited in a crescent meadow and bordered by a seasonal creek, this lodge-style home pushes back into a nearby hillside in order to give the meadow space to breathe. At the center of the project is the great room wing, and at the center of that wing is a window seat bay that gives the occupants a cat’s bird seat from the middle of the meadow. Stone columns, recalling the Ahwahnee’s similar aesthetic, flank design elements throughout the building.

This project was undertaken while David was Senior Design Associate at Polsky Architects in Larkspur.