This Riverfront Home in Northern California Maxes Out Water Views

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Project Details:

Location: Healdsburg, California

Architect: Jensen Architects / @jensen_architects

Footprint: 1,317 square feet

Builder: Drömhus General Contractors

Structural Engineer: Citta Structural Engineering

Geotechnical Engineer: PJC & Associates

Lighting Design: Johanna Grawunder

Photographer: Joe Fletcher / @joefletcherphoto

From the Architect: “Located along the Russian River at the base of Fitch Mountain, this compact home is built upon a steep and challenging site subject to flooding. Direct access to the river, and beautiful views up and down the watershed, are the rewards for the efforts demanded by the site. Geologically, the mountain here is a rock island around which the river meanders.

“An abandoned seasonal summer cabin that used to stand here as part of a 100-year-old community had been added onto multiple times over the years. The structure needed to be completely rebuilt and reimagined. Existing site stairs and terraces crafted by prior owners were retained. This artisan concrete work had been decorated with embedded abalone shells, mirror, and tile fragments, all of which mark a record of prior creative and curated occupancy of the site.

“The new building follows the steep site in section: only a single story with no openings is visible from the street. On the river side, generously glazed walls and terraced decks stair-step down the site to the water. Although the footprint is compact, the main living level revolves around a luminous double-height space with multiple vantage points to view the river, green hills, and sky.

“A large deck off the living room expands the living area outdoors. Hovering above the river, the cantilevered deck makes the house feel bigger and more gracious than the size suggests. With wing walls at the sides, and a retractable arm awning spanning the full width of the south facade, the deck becomes a shaded outdoor living room in the summer sun.

“Life in this house revolves around the seasons. Most of the year the riverside is occupied by canoes and kayaks, garden furniture, and large shade umbrellas. The terraced garden is planted with citrus and roses. In the winter everything is brought up to higher ground as it is not uncommon for the river level rise as much as twenty feet above summer levels.”