The Mill Valley Residence by McGlashan Architecture
Scott McGlashan has sent us photos of a house in Mill Valley, California that he designed.
Scott says:
Zoning rules restricted us to building a single house on the large site, so we created two houses in one: the main unit (for parents) on the top floor, the second unit (for their daughter and her family) on the lower floor and a shared middle floor.
Visit the McGlashan Architecture website – here.
Forms and color palettes are inspired by the hillside landscape. Living roofs shelter three levels of living space while preserving a thriving habitat. Skylights brighten and ventilate rooms below.
In the living room, a retractable wall of windows opens onto the big deck. Clerestory windows light the room while the shade roof keeps it cool.
A dramatic skylight brings morning light to the kitchen island with breakfast seating for two.
The kitchen looks out over Mill Valley. The table in the foreground and the bar off to the right are milled from street trees salvaged in Chico, California.
Seen from the master bathroom, the living roof blends with the surrounding hills.
Photos by CJ Chapman and David Fenton
Visit the McGlashan Architecture website – here.
Anton Tsvil. on 19 Dec 2008 at 9:07 am #
Absolutely breathtaking…
k?rma eleme on 19 Dec 2008 at 9:46 am #
Yeah, absolutely breathtaking : ) Thank you.
parikhit dutta on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:02 am #
Perfect example of a dream house
Electronic cigarettes on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:17 am #
This is amazing
Steve on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:19 am #
A beautiful house with many nice amenities. As an avid cook, however, I would find using either of the stoves illustrated a rather confining, even claustrophobic experience.
bubba on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:25 am #
Nice use of passive solar, locally milled resources, and time specific skylights. Subtle additions of curved linear forms in a living space with an abundance of right angles are refreshing. Living roof concept well organized and executed. I wonder what kind of irrigation system they use. Very nice.
Prasad Yarlagadda on 19 Dec 2008 at 10:32 am #
Excellent house. I am not sure but it would be better if you own the surrounding hills as well to continue to maintain the serene atmosphere.
I am really impressed with the simple and clutterless stuff in the house. Hats off to whoever planned, built it, and are living in it. Thanks for sharing the photos.
Matt on 19 Dec 2008 at 12:52 pm #
adopt me
jadism on 19 Dec 2008 at 1:49 pm #
i like the layout and the house itself. very nice. the blue in the kitchen… not so much. thats just me.
Sarah on 19 Dec 2008 at 2:59 pm #
I actually LOVE the blue kitchen! This home is brilliant.
Evan on 19 Dec 2008 at 4:26 pm #
Why are there two kitchens anyways? They’re both nice, but why the repetition?
Dave on 19 Dec 2008 at 5:07 pm #
From the description above…
Zoning rules restricted us to building a single house on the large site, so we created two houses in one: the main unit (for parents) on the top floor, the second unit (for their daughter and her family) on the lower floor and a shared middle floor.
Deke on 22 Dec 2008 at 9:11 pm #
Beautiful and very in sync with the vibe of the area. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mill Valley, it is one of the most gorgeous communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lived there twice and miss it every day!
thekeybunch on 22 Dec 2008 at 10:39 pm #
Simply Cool. I love the stair case design …though blue looks out of place in the kitchen…I would have preferred shades of natural wood that blends with the beautiful surroundings.
Crys on 23 Dec 2008 at 11:12 am #
Love this house!!!! Absolutely cool!
david on 23 Dec 2008 at 7:23 pm #
It looks like the neighbors have a nice view into the master bathroom.
Boodie on 23 Dec 2008 at 11:18 pm #
What an absolutely beautiful house, excellent design, I am very jealous.
Charlotte on 25 Dec 2008 at 11:38 am #
This is absolutely gorgeous! Truly an achievement in design.
Jennifer on 25 Dec 2008 at 7:50 pm #
wow… I like what you’ve done with the place!
fabulous and beautiful..
Janne on 26 Dec 2008 at 3:07 am #
Meh, what I like about this house is the reference to japanese architecture and ideology, the way walls are divided, blending in with the nature, cleanliness and natural materials such as wood and stone.
The angled roof comes off as a strange theme in the setting, and especially in the kitchen there are too many strange angles for the viewer to grasp space. The shade of blue is a very unfitting color for both kitchen and bathroom and isn’t keeping up with the ideology present elsewhere in the building. Interior design with freeform and geometrical curvy lines here and there lacks integrity.
Sandra on 26 Dec 2008 at 10:03 am #
I am very impressed. This is a wonderful environment for an extended family, allowing for privacy and larger gatherings. As an occupational therapist, my only concerns are for mobility and safety for the older generation. Stairs become hard for some to negotiate as they age and having wheelchair access to all floors would make this home a true dream home.
dbwheeler on 26 Dec 2008 at 4:59 pm #
I’m sorry, but this house leaves me cold! It has all the warmth and charm of a corporate lobby in Pittsburgh. But then, I find “Falling Water” even worse (speaking of Pittsburgh)
lani on 26 Dec 2008 at 7:41 pm #
i agree about the bathroom, how can you relax in the shower if people may see you? otherwise STUNNING!
lsh on 26 Dec 2008 at 10:05 pm #
different, but cool
ksng on 27 Dec 2008 at 6:11 am #
Splendid
Dolores Speer on 27 Dec 2008 at 8:36 am #
Just breathtaking.
LAR kid on 27 Dec 2008 at 2:30 pm #
can i please buy your house?
daniel on 28 Dec 2008 at 7:18 am #
everything else but breathtaking. quite a ususal house in a breathtaking landscape perhaps…
sima on 28 Dec 2008 at 7:04 pm #
At first i thought it looked wonderful.
but it seems like the parents have the view. the ’surfs’ get to live below with walls to look at. a good example of our times. one generation goes for the gold, the other cant afford to move away and gets no views…
Cheers to the architect! class division within the same family, illustrated, but at least its pretty.
My neighbors gave their daughter MORE land then they had, to give her a good start instead of building a decadent home where they could sit right on top of her.Wow what a difference.
jane smith on 29 Dec 2008 at 6:46 am #
your house is absolutely mind blowing.
Michelle on 29 Dec 2008 at 2:15 pm #
The blue in the kitchen reminds me of a cheap hotel bathroom.
Otherwise, this is an amazing home! I wish I had enough money for something like that.
s on 29 Dec 2008 at 10:23 pm #
Blue is the least appetizing color, not good for kitchens…
Baki T on 30 Dec 2008 at 8:38 am #
I got no words to express my feelings. Its …
jimbodean on 31 Dec 2008 at 3:55 am #
I’m sure McGlashan Architecture can stick up for themselves and I bet they know they don’t need to bother but:
Some folks aren’t getting the blue in the kitchen. I like it. It ties with the slight-art deco kitchen design apparent in the cupboard windows, counter top, etc. Besides, it matches the blue sky as well (after 11:00AM on most days). If you’re bothering to not like the blue, take something.
The master bath window at the tub is just right, particularly for Marin County. It’s ok if your neighbors can see you. Unless you shower doing hand-stands, I think its decent (neighborly) exposure at most. To me, the window looks higher than some viewers think, and neighbors usually have other stuff to do.
Hippies are enterprising busy people these days, and to them, naked it old hat. Now that they have some money they’re not naked as often is all. That’s because they need pockets. It’s not like it used to be. It’s better.
It’s a great house in a wonderful setting. The lines are particularly fine with the hillside, and the paint is good. The place is open and efficient. It’s about family and location.
Thanks for the chance to take a peek, and say hi to the neighbors. We all should.
JCB on 31 Dec 2008 at 11:17 pm #
Where’s the fireplace? Where is the rustic redwood? How does this connect to the old Mill Valley community (having lived there)? Where is the warmth? Nouveau riche, corporate, belongs in nearby Tiburon.
Dave on 01 Jan 2009 at 1:01 am #
JCB, the 11th picture shows the living room with a fireplace.
Jim Aaron on 01 Jan 2009 at 9:39 am #
Sorry, I just don’t see anything at all about this house that would justify the gushing going on here. Other than a green roof (a fine feature but not unique in any way) and some recycled materials there isn’t much of interest, as JCB said above “Nouveau riche, corporate” pretty much sums it up.
JCB on 01 Jan 2009 at 11:46 am #
Thanks Dave, had missed the fireplace. That said, Mill Valley: quaint, idyllic, redwood stands, Muir Woods, Buddhist Zen Center in the lowlands, the Dipsea Trail run. Take a look at the MV library, in quiet architectural harmony.
This house … has an ice-blue kitchen!
Kim on 04 Jan 2009 at 1:17 pm #
I live in Mill Valley and this is an enviable home for the way that we live. The level of privacy that you have is fantastic and I envy the space. Because the county is 75% free space that all people can use to hike, bike, etc., lots are smaller as are homes in most cases. This is a fabulous place. Having your daughter and family living so close by makes it a dream!
Ian on 06 Jan 2009 at 6:06 am #
Beautifully built home, can appreciate many of the architectural attributes but still shudder at the size and overbuild of it. When will architects learn that bigger is not better, and that a homes like this are not sustainable.
Ann on 06 Jan 2009 at 8:33 am #
Great home !
Alan Scott on 06 Jan 2009 at 11:33 am #
Ian,
Did you read that the house is for a very large family? Would it be more sustainable for them to go live in seperate houses? I doubt it.
Also, architects are not the ones who decide how large a house will be. The owners who hire the architects are the deciders.
Scott McGlashan on 08 Jan 2009 at 11:57 am #
Thanks, all, for the comments. I’m very flattered.
Sandra, we included a small elevator (just big enough for a wheelchair and attendant) so that the owners could plan to live there for the rest of their lives.
JCB, you’re right that it doesn’t match the prevailing woodsy Mill Valley feel, which I really like. It’s not, though, in the woodsy, hobbitty part of MV. It’s on one of the more open, grassy hillsides, so it didn’t feel right to try to replicate old dark rustic feel there.
Ian, you’re right that we’d all sink if everybody lived in homes like this. On the other hand, these two homes add up to about 5,500 sf, making them about the size of the average new American home. Rather restrained, given the context.
Thanks again for all the nice words!
Scott McGlashan on 08 Jan 2009 at 12:09 pm #
Sima, I appreciate the “house as microcosm of oppressive class structure” critique, but the lower unit also has views from every room. The blue kitchen, full of light, is downstairs. Marx gets no traction among such serfs.
Ben on 09 Jan 2009 at 1:55 pm #
Wonderful. Thanks for putting this up on stumbleupon. Look forwasr to more.
Eamonn on 10 Jan 2009 at 6:39 pm #
Love the eco firendly house and the spirtiual feeling that flows from it (the pictures at least). If you’re strapped for cash and need a quick sale give me a call.
michael on 13 Jan 2009 at 5:50 am #
Great piece of Architectural mortal, thanks for sharing us.
Peter bevan on 04 Feb 2009 at 9:09 pm #
Nope, not for me. It lacks art. Look at the antler on the floor with the staircase, what??? kinda corny to me. The kitchen counters are way too thick and are out of color. The bathroom is cumbersome…no smooth lines or transitions…yechh!
There’s nothing in this house that wants to grab you and have you say “wow”!
The only redeemable feature of this home is the outside…splendid, the home fits lovely in it’s setting and the design works for me.
Online hry on 15 Feb 2009 at 6:33 am #
Only one word – Amazing!
Manuj Darshan on 08 Apr 2009 at 2:15 am #
Wonderful. Perfect!
Stephnicwat on 06 Jul 2009 at 5:59 pm #
It’s a pretty house, but it looks cold and uninviting. It’d be nice to stay in for a while… but not to live in.
Friend on 27 Aug 2009 at 2:47 pm #
This is a pretty house, and it’s nice to see such an extensive green roof. However, I have some issues. First, the personal. My dad grew up playing on that hill before there were any houses on it and it’s sad to see all that beautiful land privatized. Also, it would be hard to believe that the green features of this dwelling can begin to make up for its size and the wastefulness of completely redoing the relatively new mansion already on that site.
syrain architect on 12 Sep 2009 at 1:12 pm #
The composing between nature and building and way used the roof was perfect