Whispering Stones | SWATT + PARTNERS

Just west of the Town of Healdsburg, the California coastal range is the first topographical barrier to ocean breezes and marine fog. Here, live oaks, redwoods, bay laurel and madrone stipple the landscape. On a 38-acre, ridge-top parcel overlooking lush vineyards, Swatt + Partners designed a ground-up 8,500 SF single-family residence, dubbed Whispering Stones,
that does not disrupt the continuity of this ecosystem, while providing elegant and gracious interior spaces with an abundance of natural light and strong indoor-outdoor connections.
Whispering Stones was commissioned by sophisticated and astute admirers of modern design, who value their responsibility as stewards and protectors of this land. To realize their mandate not to harm existing trees, Swatt + Partners began at the sinuous 1/4 mile long entry drive;
the exposed board formed concrete retaining walls follow the existing topography and vegetation, and protected numerous existing tree root systems.
The three-level residence straddles the dominant ridge and treads lightly over the natural, undisturbed topography. Shaded terraces directly engage the land, while an existing oak is left to pass through a roof opening in a pointed declaration of the continuity of building and
ecosystem. Designed with multiple exposures of floor-to-ceiling natural light, the interior spaces provide transparency and reinforce human connection to the land, Centered in the linear arrangement of spaces, the glass bridge above the entry and a sculptural “Braille” wall compresses the volume between the entrance and the kitchen and living areas. Precise, rectilinear geometry in bold horizontal strokes is a sharp contrast to the undulating and native landscape. Throughout, the materiality also provides a similar contrast: concrete, glass, stainless steel, aluminum trellises and Western Red Cedar siding are detailed and crafted with clarity; a sharp counterpoint to the surrounding grasses and twisted trunks of oaks.

Photography: Tim Griffith (https://www.timgriffith.com/)