Atlas Peak Residence

Recently designed by DFA and perched on the hills of Napa, California, the Atlas Peak Residence opens up enthusiastically to the valley beyond. The team’s priority has been sustainability in our design and material selections, and a careful consideration of the history of forest fires that have affected this burn site. As one approaches the house, they are presented with a beautifully minimal wall of charred wood that elegantly opens at its center to allow a glimpse of the expansive view. The structure is built into the rocky hillside, firmly grounded in its natural environment. The bioinspired roof extends forward and out, further blurring the divide between enclosed and exterior space, and giving the house a sense of taking off the hill and gliding into the valley. DFA’s dynamic structure opens up in plan and section as a stunning expression of what we want to do on the site; stop and look out.