Location
Pasadena, California
With its redwood cladding and contrasting gull-wing roofline, the Ridgeline house perches high above Pasadena, with breathtaking views of the city below.
Constructed in 1967 by Mortimer J. Matthews, the original post and beam structure allowed for floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors, providing flexibility and visual connection to the surrounding landscape. Design for the major renovation and addition began in late summer 2008, and focused on preserving the distinctive cruciform plan and folded roof planes, while strategically lifting portions of the roof to bring in more light and add interior square footage. The west end of the house was elongated and exterior siding removed and replaced with full-height glass doors and clerestories to capture the west light and direct it inward through the bedrooms and interior hallway toward the more public areas of the house.
The primary challenges were to maximize the visual and circulatory connections between inside and out and to filter natural light to the central axis, all while maintaining the midcentury character of the interior. Removal of several interior partitions united dark, disengaged spaces into one open great room where the family spends most of its time, and where floor-to-ceiling sliding glass walls blur the distinctions between landscape and room.