Diamond ADU by S^A|Schwartz and Architecture
Sonoma, California
Architects & Firms
Location: Sonoma, California
Project size: 1,200 square feet
Program: Dilapidated farm structures—legally protected from outright demolition—dot rural Sonoma County. In a state of constant decay, “these relics have their own strange elegance,” says architect Neal Schwartz, founder of San Francisco–based studio S^A. “Once steeply sloped roofs now droop and peel apart, allowing in unexpected streams of light and revealing internal framing.” Taking cues from these low-slung buildings, S^A has designed a compact accessory dwelling unit in the heart of California wine country.
Design Solution: The clients commissioned this 1,200-square-foot ADU for a 6-acre site with a large house and several smaller outbuildings already on it. Given the context, looking to the region’s agricultural vernacular as a jumping-off point seemed an obvious choice to the architects. Relative to the property’s existing structures, S^A lowered the roofline of the ADU and tucked it into a grove of trees, lessening its visual impact on the landscape. From a nearby road, the unit appears relatively conventional—but, from other angles, the roof and its flared eaves offer up a lighter and more pavilion-like character.
Photo © Bruce Damonte
An overhang, built of exposed timbers, announces the ADU’s entrance, which leads to a vestibule. Running perpendicular to the axis of entry, a long, linear skylight cleaves the interior space in two and introduces ample natural light. The ADU is neither an unconsidered “modern farmhouse,” a stylistic trope that has proliferated throughout Sonoma County in recent years, nor does it directly emulate the ruins of a barn. “We hope it feels alive—complete, but always in process,” Schwartz adds.
Structure and Materials: The property is off-the-grid ready with photovoltaics, a well, and a septic system. The architects oriented the ADU to utilize passive cooling and heating strategies rather than depend entirely on mechanical systems. Its palette also prioritizes locally sourced sustainable domestic materials for siding, roofing, lime plaster, countertops, and tile.
Additional Information
Completion date: June 2022
Site size: 6 acres
Total construction cost: Withheld
Client/Owner: Withheld
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Photos © Bruce Damonte
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Images courtesy S^A|Schwartz and Architecture, click to enlarge
Credits
Architect
S^A|Schwartz and Architecture
860 Rhode Island St.
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-550-0430
saasf.com
Project team
Principals: Wyatt Arnold, Laura Huylebroeck
Engineers
Structural: Stranberg Engineering
Consultants
Lighting: Loisos + Ubbelohde
Landscape: Huettle Landscape Architecture
Plaster: Mineral Concept
General Contractor
Fairweather & Associates
Photographer
Bruce Damonte
Specifications
Exterior Cladding
Wood: reSAWN Timber Co.
Roofing
Metal: Standing Seam Metal Roofing
Windows
Wood frame: Kolbe Windows and Doors
Metal frame: Kolbe Windows and Doors
Glazing:
Skylights: CrystaLite, Inc.
Doors
Wood doors: Fairweather & Associates
Sliding doors: Fleetwood Multi-Slide Door
Hardware
Locksets: Baldwin, Emtek
Other special hardware: Sugatsune
Interior Finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Fairweather & Associates
Paints and stains: Benjamin Moore, Rubio Monocoat
Special interior finishes unique to this project: Tadelakt plaster by Mineral Concept
Lighting
Interior ambient lighting: Foscarini Gregg Pendant, Juniper Thin, Vistosi Neochic, Hem Alphabeta, Louis Poulsen AJ wall sconce
Downlights: Alphabet, Tech Lighting
Exterior: Beta Calco Razer Wall Sconces, Alphabet Downlights, HK USA Lighting Group Monopoint Sconces
Dimming system or other lighting controls: Lutron
Plumbing
Kitchen Sink: Kohler
Kitchen Faucet: Hansgrohe
Bath Sink: Kohler
Bath Faucet: Gessi
Bath Toilet: Nexus
Bath Shower Fixtures: Gessi
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