Capturing distant views of Mt. Diablo and East Bay, this 4,400 square feet modern home is perched on a steep slope in the Californian Sonoma hills. Vista Del Valle accentuates its location with its slightly sloping roof, under which modern interior spaces define the inhabitant’s lifestyle. An exterior courtyard opens to an infinity swimming pool overlooking the valley below and provides comforting views from behind sliding glass doors. Inside, warm spaces reconstruct the feeling of being outside, but keep the atmosphere unburdened by swift weather changes. Overhangs protect the light-flooded kitchen, dining and living spaces from overheating, while windows and glass doors welcome the cooling breeze. Clerestory windows, solar hot water heating, radiant floor heating, alongside the orientation and passive ventilation create a comfortable atmosphere without charging the bills. Imagined as a modern oasis of comfort within natural surroundings, the residence was designed by Zimmerman and Associates, who dressed the whole house in a carefully constructed skin – horizontal cedar siding and stucco intertwine to compose a suite of volumetric spaces adapted to the existing site conditions, natural lighting and needs of a modern lifestyle.

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