This residential compound designed by Workshop/APD is organized as a series of distinct volumes, each housing a different program and connected by thoughtful landscape and circulation. The design emphasizes simplicity of form and honest expression of materials, creating a modern interpretation of the coastal vernacular. From the structural perspective, the challenge was to support this architectural clarity with efficient and unobtrusive systems.
The primary construction is wood framing, chosen for both its sustainability and its ability to deliver warm, open interiors. Structural efficiency was achieved by aligning spans with programmatic layouts, minimizing the need for intrusive interior supports. The result are open living spaces with the framing hidden behind clean architectural lines.
The intersecting masses generate both additive and subtractive spaces. In some interior conditions the form reads as a single mass, while in others it resolves as two distinct volumes.
The intersecting volumes create unsupported corners within the interior spaces. A combination of cantilevered steel members and simple spanning wood framing efficiently create the perception of floating masses at key instances within the interior spaces.
Where greater structural demand arose, including long-span connections, cantilevered decks, or the floating stair, steel was introduced strategically. These hybrid moments allowed the architecture to achieve openness and lightness without compromising performance. By blending steel into a primarily structural wood system, CRAFT was able to extend spans, reduce member sizes, and deliver the delicate-looking details the design demanded.
The compound’s overall composition reflects this structural logic. Each volume is simple and legible, expressed as a clear, gabled form resting on its foundation. Inside, open volumes flow easily, while tall windows and vaulted ceilings bring sunlight into rooms. The integration of structure and form ensures that these spaces remain uncluttered, supporting the architectural goal of clarity and restraint.
For this residence, engineering serves the architecture by remaining in balance with it: supportive, efficient, and nearly invisible. The residential compound embodies a modern approach to structure where wood and steel work together to create spaces that are open and refined, while maintaining the purity of architectural expression.
PROJECT TEAM
Architecture: Workshop/APD, General Contractor: J Brown Builders Inc., Landscape Architect: Miroslava Ahern / Landscape Design Studio
