Shou Sugi Ban House

For this substantial remodel in the South Bay, we took a 70’s developer “ranch burger” home and gave it new life by modernizing it. The original home was dark, dreary and inefficiently laid out with minimal storage. As part of the renovation, the clients wanted to take advantage of sweeping views of a nature preserve to the west and create an outdoor space for entertaining on warm summer evenings. Additionally, they wanted an overall warm, modern feel to their home. The solution was to reorganize the ‘public’ portion of the home by relocating the kitchen which created a more generous living and dining space. We created a lofty volume by removing the flat ceiling and replacing it with a new gabled ceiling accompanied by a large, four paneled sliding door to access the rear deck and views. Energy efficient upgrades included solar panels and Tesla battery pack. The exterior was comprised of a combination of cypress finished in the tradition of Shou Sugi Ban cypress and painted horizontal siding. The traditional Japanese practice of Shou Sugi Ban dates back as early as the 1700s. The process involves charring wood to prolong the life of the wood, making it resistant to fire, infestation and decay. Finishes throughout are clean and simple deferring to the natural beauty outside. We employed a hot rolled steel facade for the fireplace surround. The charred wood was often featured on facades of rural Japanese homes used to store valuables in need of protection. The project was topped off with a native California, drought resistant garden.