- Project: Low/Rise House
- Architect: Spiegel Aihara Workshop
- Location: United States, Menlo Park, California
- Year: 2013
- Area: 418 m2
- Photography: Bruce Damonte
Blending traditional California ranch forms with a vertical farm tower concept, the Low/Rise House by Spiegel Aihara Workshop is a model of site-responsive and energy-conscious architecture. Located in Menlo Park, this 4,500-square-foot single-family home balances low-profile sprawl with an unexpected vertical twist—creating a residence that’s as attuned to its natural surroundings as it is to modern living needs.
A Sustainable Composition of Forms
Designed as a series of interlocking bars, the structure separates private and communal spaces while maintaining seamless indoor-outdoor flow. These narrow volumes allow natural light, ventilation, and surrounding greenery to permeate every room.
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The open kitchen sits at the intersection of two wings, anchoring the home’s public zones.
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The master suite opens directly into a shaded fern garden, enhancing privacy and biophilic comfort.
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A distinctive three-story tower with a rooftop deck emerges among the trees, offering panoramic views of the neighborhood and beyond.
“The design reimagines the suburban housing type with a strong emphasis on environmental performance and social integration,” – Spiegel Aihara Workshop
Passive Design for Flexible Living
The Low/Rise House is engineered to operate flexibly depending on occupancy. Portions of the home can be shut down to reduce energy use when inhabited by one or two people, while still allowing for expansive, integrated living when hosting a larger group.
Sustainable Features:
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Natural cross-ventilation
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Solar energy systems
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Daylighting design through clerestories and narrow floorplates
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Low water landscaping and site-immersive planning
Integration With Landscape and Lifestyle
Rather than dominating its surroundings, the long and low profile allows the home to disappear into the tree-lined site. Each room is bordered by garden space, and large sliding glass doors blur thresholds between interior and exterior.
The home’s form, materiality, and function work in harmony to establish a residence that’s both high-performing and deeply comfortable—responsive to both climate and community.
The Low/Rise House by Spiegel Aihara Workshop is a study in contrast and cohesion—a residence that is modest in form yet bold in intent, placing environmental sensitivity and spatial experience at the forefront of suburban living.
