- Project: Healdsburg I
- Architect: Feldman Architecture
- Location: Afghanistan, Healdsburg, California
- Year: 2015
- Area: 268 m2
- Photography: Joe Fletcher
Set atop a scenic ridge in Healdsburg, California, Healdsburg I by Feldman Architecture is a refined single-story home offering expansive views and seamless indoor-outdoor living. Encompassing 2,890 square feet of well-considered design, this home balances social openness with private refuge, all while engaging gracefully with its sloping site.
A Composition of Perpendicular Volumes
The architectural concept is formed by two perpendicular bars that organize the residence into public and private zones. The taller bar, aligned with the hill’s ridgeline, houses the great room beneath a soaring shed roof. Glass walls flood the space with light and open dramatically to connect both the north-facing pool terrace and the south-facing firepit lounge, offering year-round outdoor comfort.
With four oversized operable glass panels, the great room transforms into a pavilion-like space, visually and physically open to the landscape. From the infinity-edge pool through the interior living space to the distant town below, the home orchestrates an uninterrupted visual flow.
Designed for Entertaining
Conceived for a couple that loves to entertain, the home integrates thoughtful features for hosting. The main kitchen is compact and refined, while a larger catering kitchen is tucked discreetly out of view. Perforated acoustic ceiling panels soften ambient noise during gatherings, and subtle stone floor inlays delineate zones within the open plan without creating visual barriers.
A Gradual Shift Toward Privacy
Extending northward from the intersection with the great room, the second volume of the house transitions from garage to media room, and finally to the primary suite, offering increasing privacy. The master bedroom opens to serene meadow views through another operable glass wall, blurring the boundary between architecture and nature.
Down the hill, a guesthouse provides a private escape for visitors, further enhancing the home’s hospitality while preserving intimacy.
Materiality and Landscape
Clad in dark-stained cedar siding and anchored with low stone landscape walls, Healdsburg I exudes a modest elegance that respects the site’s natural beauty. The home’s integration with the landscape, paired with minimalist detailing, reflects Feldman Architecture’s ethos of responsive, place-based design.
“Healdsburg I is about crafting an experience of openness, warmth, and retreat — a modern home deeply embedded in its landscape,” shares the design team at Feldman Architecture.
