BEDWELL RESIDENCE

Fresno, California

Geometric angles of heavy cedar shakes merge to form this two-story, 5,793 square foot home for a family of five.  Among the client needs was an exterior design that held a unique natural beauty and reflected an inner sense of the space within, and whose landscaping expressed a natural grace related to the architectural composition.

The family wanted a sense of continuity flowing throughout the house, where they could experience their daily activities and feel a sense of pride.  The redwood used throughout the house rendered the requested naturalness and was in context with surrounding structures.  The use of landscaping and trellises accented the sense of nature and provided privacy. 

The broad flank of a deep suburban lot permits the dramatic prospect of intersecting geometric forms.  In counterpoint to the sweeping approach of the curved drive, segments of interior space are clearly defined by the exterior thrust of balanced triangular masses.  The linear rigor of the composition is softened by a sheathing of redwood shakes covering both returned roof soffits and roof.