Location: Napa Valley. United States Year of construction: 1999 Architects: Legorreta Architects Photography: Lourdes Legorreta
The staggered positioning of the building is to adapt it to the gentle incline. The house is divided into four parts connected by intermediate spaces bounded by curving walls that merge with the topography to create a sculptural whole.
The Casa Cabernet provided Legorreta with a fresh opportunity to demonstrate that architectural intervention in a landscape of great natural beauty is not necessarily detrimental. The result is this splendid house standing on an attractive hilltop in Santa Helena, between woodland and vines. It is yet another example of the great wisdom this architect has acquired during his long career as a builder of dreams.
The integration of the project into the landscape is achieved by the division into a number of different structures and the careful siting within the existing topography. This approach also increases the opportunities to provide fine views, both of the house from the surrounding woods and of the countryside from within the property itself.
Walls play a key role in Legorreta’s architecture and this is apparent in the Casa Cabernet. On the one hand, they act as an element connecting the outside and inside of the building. This is true, for example, of the curving wall already mentioned: after following its course on the exterior, it penetrates the building and, on the interior, defines the space occupied by the kitchen. On the other hand, walls can be used to allow light to pass into the interior and give it meaning, creating areas of great beauty and peace through natural illumination.
The outstanding quality of the spaces created stems from the quest for elements that would allow the owners to see their dream fulfilled: to enjoy and be happy in the house they had built.
The scheme of the house is simple: living rooms, a master bedroom, a terrace with swimming pool, and two guest bedrooms. The principal challenge was retaining a close relationship with the surrounding woodland without relinquishing the privacy of the house itself.
The elevations are designed chiefly from an interior perspective, acting as frames for the most attractive views. The color used almost throughout was chosen for its similarity to the red soil of the area and was called Cabernet as a tribute to the grape variety grown on the property.
There was the opportunity of choosing the type of furniture best suited to the property and some items were sent by boat directly from Mexico. The widespread use of wood in both furniture and structure brings warmth to a house clearly designed on a human scale.
The interior spaces enjoy magnificent views framed by openings designed from an internal perspective rather than as compositional features of the elevations. The furniture was specially chosen or designed to blend with the other elements of the house.