Oakland California Modern Nabeshima Kahle Snow House

This house was designed and built in the tradition of California regionalism with flowing indoor/outdoor spaces, exposed materials, and expressive detailing. The site for the house, in the area destroyed by the Oakland firestorm, was especially challenging because of its small and triangular lot shape, its position in a tightly hemmed cul de sac, and its proximity to the Hayward Fault.

The house responds to these constraints by nestling into the large corner of the triangular lot and opening to the East with a two-story, glass wall. The transparent wall incorporates vertical lift doors at the large living area and barn doors at each bedroom to create direct connections with the garden from every main interior space. These fluid connections and the 26-foot high ceilings make the 1,600 square-foot house feel much larger than it actually is.