This project is part of the downtown revitalization of Redding, California. The intent was to create a modern “Brownstone” where you could walk up a small flight of stairs to the front door. We pushed the footprint as close to the front property line as possible to create a commonly shared private rear yard, which is pretty hard to find in a downtown environment.

We opted for a mixed use of exterior materials to help create the modern feel and to break up a very efficient, but square, front elevation.

The central white stucco “tower” initially had an extended roofline that was to be supported by metal rods. It made for a slightly more impressive façade, but the power company didn’t like a metal roof so close to the power lines, so we had to pull it back in.

The interior spaces were relatively narrow, so we broke up the space using interesting shapes, like open staircases, a recessed office nook off the kitchen, and strategically placed tall, narrow windows.

We also visually broke up the main level by using beams to define the spaces, even though the kitchen, dining, and living space were all open to each other.

Our intention was to maximize the small but valuable property by going as high as zoning would allow us, and then push the envelope a little further by adding a stair tower to a roof deck. We needed the stair tower for the fire code and turned it into an opportunity to create an open air fourth floor.