Ensuring you can maximise a magnificent location to create your own personal dream home will depend upon the technology you have at your disposal. This modernised property enjoys uninterrupted 270° views, but that was not always the case.
The owners have lived in the house, which was built in the 1970s, for many years, says architect Robert Swatt FAIA, principal of Swatt Miers Architects.
"They dreamed of one day transforming the house into one worthy of the spectacular site, perched above San Francisco Bay."
The first step in the process, says Swatt, was to address the issues that are fairly standard in homes of this era a lack of a hierarchy of spaces and a coherent circulation.
Once these areas were attended to within the plan, the focus could shift to the aesthetics. A major component was replacing the existing windows and doors with floor-to-ceiling glazing, to merge the built and natural environments seamlessly.
On paper, at least, the project appears fairly straightforward; the renovation of an existing 297m² house plus a new 185m² addition. However, given the site, realising the clients' wishes was not so simple, says Swatt.
"Anywhere else and you'd just build up, but in this part of San Francisco it's very hard to get permission to go up, because you would block the view from the neighbouring properties.
"Light pollution is just as strongly legislated against and all steps must be taken to ensure the light from houses is contained.
"These two factors had some bearing on the design solution to create strong horizontal lines and planes for incorporating the extra living space the owners wanted," says Swatt.