Living lightly on the land

This design offers drama – glass bridge and braille wall included – while closely responding to the owners' perceived responsibility as stewards and protectors of the environment

Modern architecture meets land stewardship at this home

Swatt + Partners' architecture and design approach includes

Precise, rectilinear geometry in bold horizontal strokes is

Set within a 15ha parcel, Whispering Stones encompasses

Featuring concrete, glass, stainless steel and Western Cedar,

The glass bridge and Braille wall compress the

The glass bridge above the entrance is accessed

The main level features in-floor zoned radiant heat

Clean modernity meets mindful environment-friendly design.

Elegant and gracious interior spaces, such as this

One of several shade terraces that engage with

Designed by Swatt + Partners

From the architects:

Located on a 15ha, ridge-top parcel stippled with live oaks, redwoods, bay laurel, and madrone that soars above the vineyards below, this estate was commissioned by owners who appreciate modern design, and who value their responsibility as stewards and protectors of this land.

To realise the mandate to neither harm nor fell existing trees, Swatt + Partners began at the entrance to the property – designing the sinuous 3-4k long drive from the road to the residence for minimal to no impact.

The exposed board-formed concrete retaining walls follow the existing topography and vegetation and protect numerous existing tree root systems.

The three-level, 7896m² residence straddles the dominant ridge and treads lightly over the natural, undisturbed topography.

Shaded terraces directly engage the land, while an existing oak is left to pass through a roof opening in a pointed declaration of the continuity of building and ecosystem.

Designed with multiple exposures of floor-to-ceiling natural light, the elegant and gracious interior spaces provide both transparency and human interaction to the land through strong indoor-outdoor connections.

Centred in the linear arrangement of spaces, the glass bridge above the entry and a sculptural 'Braille' wall compresses the volume between the entrance and the kitchen and living areas.

Precise, rectilinear geometry in bold horizontal strokes is a sharp contrast to the undulating and native landscape.

Throughout, the materiality also provides a similar contrast: concrete, glass, stainless steel, aluminium trellises, and western red cedar cladding are detailed and crafted with clarity; a sharp counterpoint to the surrounding grasses and twisted trunks of oak.

Swatt + Partners achieved a sense of environmental well-being with responsibly sourced materials and thoughtful design strategies.

These passive strategies, which allow for cross ventilation, uniform daylighting, solar exposure modulation, and temperature modulation, are augmented by photovoltaic panel arrays and water conservation measures, including water efficient and water conserving plumbing fixtures and fittings.

All landscaping is primarily native or drought tolerant and, where needed, automatic irrigation controllers supplied by a site well and storage system limit water use until native plantings are self-sustaining and established.

Given the wildfire activity in the region where the estate is located, provisions to suppress fire spread were installed.

From the building roof, mobile tanks of an environmentally compatible and water soluble compound can be deployed to retard fire and flame spread to the structure and the surrounding vegetation.

With this home, Swatt + Partners has created a new architecture and design narrative for modern luxury living within the wine country.