To say that this Sonoma County house draws heavily on its context would be an understatement. Designed by San Francisco-based studio Schwartz and Architecture, led by founder Neal Schwartz, the home may be small in size, but is big in personality. Created for a private client in dark hues and low lines, it blends nods to the natural landscape, hints of modernist and minimalist architecture and supreme, 21st-century functionality. Leit House, as the dwelling is titled, was conceived to express its surroundings in architectural form.
Leit House: a bijou Sonoma County house
In designing Leit House, Schwartz and his team studied the local topography, to make sure the new house sits in harmony with its setting. In this, colour was critical. ‘Millions of years ago, the volcanoes of Sonoma Valley, California, spewed hot magma across the landscape. As the lava quickly cooled, the eruption’s gases became trapped, forming porous cavities instead of crystallising into dense stone,’ the team writes. ‘These blackened rocks – rhyolite, basalt, andesite, and pumice – still dot the valley landscape today, surprising in their lightness despite all appearances.’
The house, at less than 80 sq m, is certainly boutique, in the context of its genre in the country, but clever layout and openings ensure it makes up for its bijou size in smart design solutions. Simplicity is the name of the game, with the home internally composed of a long service core, and a single, open, multifunction living space. Clean surfaces and slim volumes underline a feeling of lightness and an uncluttered approach – despite the blackened volcanic rock references in its sculptural overall form.
Charred oak cladding hints at the fires that have devastated the region in the recent past. ‘[It] remains a symbol of this resilient landscape,’ the architects write, referring to the blackened Shou Sugi Ban siding of the home.
At the same time, the wide openings that instantly take in the Californian landscape, are balanced by large roof overhangs that protect from the hot sun and navigate any climate challenges. The home's restricted material palette also works towards that, allowing the views of nature and the experience of being in the wild to take centre stage.
-
Nikos Koulis brings a cool wearability to high jewelleryNikos Koulis experiments with unusual diamond cuts and modern materials in a new collection, ‘Wish’
-
A Xingfa cement factory’s reimagining breathes new life into an abandoned industrial siteWe tour the Xingfa cement factory in China, where a redesign by landscape specialist SWA Group completely transforms an old industrial site into a lush park
-
Put these emerging artists on your radarThis crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
-
We explore Franklin Israel’s lesser-known, progressive, deconstructivist architectureFranklin Israel, a progressive Californian architect whose life was cut short in 1996 at the age of 50, is celebrated in a new book that examines his work and legacy
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of natureWOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
-
The Frick Collection's expansion by Selldorf Architects is both surgical and delicateThe New York cultural institution gets a $220 million glow-up
-
Remembering architect David M Childs (1941-2025) and his New York skyline legacyDavid M Childs, a former chairman of architectural powerhouse SOM, has passed away. We celebrate his professional achievements
-
The upcoming Zaha Hadid Architects projects set to transform the horizonA peek at Zaha Hadid Architects’ future projects, which will comprise some of the most innovative and intriguing structures in the world
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s last house has finally been built – and you can stay thereFrank Lloyd Wright’s final residential commission, RiverRock, has come to life. But, constructed 66 years after his death, can it be considered a true ‘Wright’?
-
Heritage and conservation after the fires: what’s next for Los Angeles?In the second instalment of our 'Rebuilding LA' series, we explore a way forward for historical treasures under threat
-
Why this rare Frank Lloyd Wright house is considered one of Chicago’s ‘most endangered’ buildingsThe JJ Walser House has sat derelict for six years. But preservationists hope the building will have a vibrant second act
