A Contemporary Farmhouse In The Sonoma Hills Rises To Resist The Threat Of Wildfires

Atop an idyllic perch in the Sonomahills, a San Francisco based familyhad found the perfect retreat fortheir family and friends. In 2016they had commissioned Mork-Ulnes Architects to design a compact,three-bedroom guesthouse tocompliment the main house. Justafter the guesthouse was complete,a wildfire engulfed the property.The forested canyon and hills above were devastated, but the all-concrete guesthouse survivedthe event. Re-investing in the landafter the property fell victim to thisnatural disaster was important tothe owners who enlisted Mork- Ulnes Architects again, this time todesign the main house, ex novo. Theproperty is part of the rebuildingeffort following the 2017 Nuns Fire,an unrivaled recovery driven bycommunity resolve and eased bystreamlined bureaucracy.

Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The great room with double-height kitchen and dining area. Bruce Damonte

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Impacted by the wildfire, whichfortunately did not harm anyone,the owners were very concerned about fire protection for their homeand family and insisted on fire-resistant building materials fromthe onset of the design process.They requested a great room withan indoor-outdoor kitchen anddining area, living room with viewstowards the manzanita canyon, amedia room, primary bedroom suite,two guest rooms, and a children’sbedroom with en-suite bath. Thearchitects came up with a simple,two-story concrete structure basedon a three-dimensional grid. Firmlyplanted on a plateau surrounded byManzanita groves and pine-forestedhillsides, the house sits right abovethe pool area and the previouslycompleted concrete guesthouse.

“The concept was to designan all concrete house that is wrapped in asacrificial layer of wood that gave a nodto the local vernacular farm structuresin the area – so that its materiality stillfeels like it fits with a Northern Californiahome despite being structurally ofconcrete.” Casper Mork-Ulnes shares.

Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The house seen from the north-east Bruce Damonte

A concrete framework establishes the structure and rhythm of Frame House, aresidence atop a hill in the Sonoma countryside. Rooted on a plateau above a forestedcanyon and vineyards, this structural grid maximizes the connection between theinside and out, allowing for natural light and direct access to the exterior fromalmost every room in the house. The loggia, which wraps three sides of the house’sperimeter, shades the living spaces below, and provides access to expansive viewsfrom the second level decks.

“A deep loggia and a repetitive gridof columns creates the structure ofthe house. The loggia creates both arespite from the hot Sonoma sun and arhythmic pattern that provides the orderand framework for the house. The gridstructure defines the functions of thehouse and whether they are introvertedor extroverted to the site depending onif they are filled in with a void of glass orsolid wall,” Casper Mork-Ulnes explains.

Mork- Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The entry on the east-facing façade. Bruce Damonte

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The materials of the house are organic and rustic in their appearance and tactility,while providing resilience against the threat of the wildfires which have becomeprevalent in the Sonoma valley and damaged the previous residence on the site. Toprotect the new home, concrete shear walls are clad in a sacrificial layer of greyingwood siding between the columns, which also organize the interior spaces. Thisrigorous concrete framework creates a perch from which to take in the vistas ofthe property and beyond.

“Having lived in California for a very longtime, I am influenced by the West Coastmodernists, Koenig, Neutra, Ain and theircontemporaries. Those houses, with theirsense of openness, explore issues of lightand space that are fundamental for me aswell; as a Norwegian, I am always drawnto the psychological importance of lightand air in architecture,' Casper Mork-Ulnes reveals.

In contrast to the exterior of the house, clad in a fire-proof armor, the warm interiorsare lined in Douglas Fir. The house has an extroverted relationship to the surroundinglandscape, connecting the interior in almost every room to the California climate. Onthe inside, the home is organized around a double height space over the kitchen thatconnects the two levels and is punctuated by a floating catwalk leading to the twobedroom wings upstairs.

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The great room with double-height kitchen and dining area.Bruce Damonde

- Mork- Ulnes Architects, Frame Housein Sonoma, California. Close- up of the east- facing façade.Bruce Damonde

- Mork- Ulnes Architects, Frame Housein Sonoma, California. The east-facing façade.Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. Photo: Bruce Damonte.Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The main house seen from the north. Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The main house in the foreground and the all concrete guesthouse to the west. Photo: Bruce Damonte.Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The west-facing façade.Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. The main house in the foreground and the all concrete guesthouse to the west. Bruce Damonde

- Mork- Ulnes Architects, Frame Housein Sonoma, California. The entry on the east-facing façade. Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California.Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. Photo: Bruce Damonte.Bruce Damonde

- Mork- Ulnes Architects, Frame Housein Sonoma, California.Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. Bruce Damonde

- Mork-Ulnes Architects, Frame House in Sonoma, California. Bruce Damonde

The program of the house contains 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, media room, and greatroom in 4,000 square feet, with interior furnishings curated by The Office ofCharles de Lisle. The 18 acre property includes a 3 bedroom, 3 bath all concreteguesthouse also designed by Mork-Ulnes Architects and with interior by Charles deLisle. The garden, vegetable beds, and pool were designed by Surface Design.

Experience the home through this video by Juan Benavides:

Frame House by Mork-Ulnes Architects - short film by Juan Benavides from The Architecture Player on Vimeo.