This home, located on a narrow finger of land perched above a deep valley descending from the slopes of Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, enjoys the best of all worlds. The expansive views and exposure of a ridge top site, the quiet, contemplative shade of a redwood forest, the urbanity of a modern city residence, and the quiet of a wilderness. The design was developed from the idea that these contrasts would accentuate the drama of the magnificent site.

The arriving visitor is drawn from the approach up the driveway by a glimpsed view through the curved walls of the breezeway, on to the pool and the hills beyond. The sweeping curves pull the eye back to the house and toward the entry. Passing alongside the house to the entry the visitor takes in the forms of the house in a linear progression. The front door is at a quiet point in this progression, which heightens the surprise of what is to come. The fluted glass of the door veils the view, but when opened, the full grandeur beyond is revealed. It is not, however, what one expects. Instead of a drop-dead view up Mt. Tamalpais, the view drops away below, over the steps and granite slab fountain and into the canyon below. The fountain, sculpted by Welton Rotz, is the grounding element of the house, extending up from the earth and drawing water as if from a spring.