Guesthouse Guesthouse

AIA Merit Award, Unbuilt Category

Guesthouse Guesthouse is an interior-architecture renovation transforming two existing 300 SF cinder block storage sheds into small single-room guesthouses for a vacation home in rural Alpine Valley, California. The client’s main stipulations were the following: First, that the design not effect the existing exterior envelopes and second, that we make comfortable interior spaces for short stays with essential amenities only.

The design locates a freestanding tile-clad structure that defines program and space as it pinwheels out from the center of each guesthouse. This multi-functional architectural object simultaneously divides space between bed and bath while holding all functional amenities: a heat source, a place to sleep, bathe, store luggage, and to cook with a modest stovetop. The shape of these in a single mass that morphs between thick and thin responsively to the program. Guests will circulate freely around the central object, creating an experience in the round.

Each guesthouse varies in both form and color from one another, giving a unique identity to each cabin. This flexibility comes from the bespoke tile cladding system that was designed in tandem with the schematic design of the project. Utilizing 6 3d tile geometries, the form oscillates between thick and thin responsively to the program.

Related Press