3 Bar Residence has been designed by Aleck Wilson Architects as a modest new residence nestled on a wooded site in Larkspur, Marin County, California. The desire was to create a simple contemporary home that emphasized efficiency of materials and space, while capturing the essential elements of the site. This efficiency manifests itself in the compact 2,000 square foot size, as well as the simple use of materials such as the exposed framing and efficient systems such as the hydronic heat. The parti was simple, to use two rectangular stucco volumes to frame an implied space between them which is the core of the house. This space is partially occupied by the dining room which is flanked on either side by one sunny and one sheltered patio. The room is unique, with glass roll up garage doors to the two patios, making the dining area a true indoor/outdoor space when both are open. The dining table is on wheels, allowing it to be rolled onto an adjacent concrete patio as the family alternatively searches for sun or shelter. Large and strategically placed windows further the connection to the landscape and visually extend key views beyond the small size of the home.

Photos: Matthew Millman Photography