mork-ulnes extends california home with pavilion punctuated by oak and redwood trees

"Set on a steep hillside surrounded by mature redwoods and oaks, Pavilion in the Oaks by Mork-Ulnes Architects introduces a restrained counterpoint to the overgrown landscape. Designed as an extension to a 1970s suburban home, the project serves as both a wellness retreat and a space for social gathering, connected to the existing residence by a narrow bridge. The pavilion is raised above the sloping terrain, its floor level aligned with the home's walk-out basement, allowing it to hover lightly among the trunks."

"The clients envisioned a flexible environment for yoga, exercise, and family gatherings - a place where domestic life could shift fluidly between introspection and conviviality. Mork-Ulnes responded with a composition that prioritizes continuity between interior and exterior. The result is an architecture that feels inseparable from the surrounding grove, shaped by the vertical rhythm of the trees and the filtered light that moves through their branches."

"The team at Mork-Ulnes Architects elevates its Pavilion in the Oaks atop an array of slender columns, preserving the sloping site's natural contours and allowing air and light to circulate beneath. Redwood and oak trees puncture the exterior deck, defining zones of use as naturally as walls or furniture might. This interplay between architecture and vegetation gives the project a sense of suspension - part clearing, part enclosure - where the built and the organic share coexist."

Pavilion in the Oaks sits on a steep hillside among mature redwoods and oaks and functions as an extension to a 1970s suburban home. The pavilion is raised on slender columns with its floor aligned to the home's walk-out basement, allowing it to hover among tree trunks while preserving the site's natural contours. Decking and pierced tree gaps organize use zones and maintain air and light circulation beneath the structure. The design prioritizes continuity between interior and exterior to support yoga, exercise, and family gatherings, creating a private, suspended courtyard atmosphere beneath a dense canopy.

Read at designboom | architecture & design magazine