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Two Homes, Two Tributes to Dad
Father-son relationships shape the design of cherished family homes
Meet two architects who created something beautiful for their fathers: homes to love and live in for the rest of their lives. For Jonathan Feldman and Lewis Butler, the relationship with their fathers significantly influenced their overall design aesthetic, making these projects exceptionally personal tributes. Feldman designed and built a second home for his parents on a beloved family plot of land in Carmel Valley, its design shaped by a respect for the environment he and his dad share. Lewis Butler reconstructed a beloved family home in a new location for his parents, guided by his father’s practical style.
Feldman's father had fallen in love with this area — particularly this plot of land that they owned. Of course, this specific plot was as challenging to work with as it was beautiful. "My father's environmental requirements actually ended up shaping the most important part of the house," says Feldman. The site was on a very steep hill covered with oaks. Feldman's father wanted to keep all the trees and create a structure that felt like part of the land rather than dominating it.
As a result, the structure of the house was sunk into the hillside, which allowed for minimal damage to the site itself. Feldman incorporated a green roof to increase natural landscaping, help with the thermal maintenance of the house, and reduce water runoff.
"It was really important to my dad that we built the house in a way that wouldn't hurt the land there, on the site, or anywhere else," says Feldman. All materials were sustainably harvested, and Feldman was careful to build and orient the house so that it wouldn't require air conditioning or heating systems.
"It was really important to my dad that we built the house in a way that wouldn't hurt the land there, on the site, or anywhere else," says Feldman. All materials were sustainably harvested, and Feldman was careful to build and orient the house so that it wouldn't require air conditioning or heating systems.
"My dad has always been an environmentalist in some respect," says Feldman. "And long before it became trendy. It's definitely had an impact on me. I remember going hiking and backpacking with my dad a lot when I was younger. I really learned to enjoy, respect and appreciate nature." When Feldman started the construction of this house, eco-friendly initiatives hadn't quite taken off in the field of architecture, but his dad didn't need any convincing in that respect.
The house itself is broken up into three pavilions, with the guest quarters separated from the main living area. This wasn't just an implication of the nature of the site. Breaking up the home into sections like this means that lights and other energy-using services are only used when they're needed.
"It was actually really great to work with my dad," says Feldman. "He really trusts me when it comes to the design. It's funny, because there's really no filter when you're working with your parents — not like you'd have with another client. Of course there are emotional ups and downs when you're working on something like this, but it was great because I could really communicate in an honest way. It was refreshing."
Feldman poured concrete integral floors throughout the home. The material is hard-wearing, low-maintenance, and helps maintain the home's temperature. Not much wood was used, but Feldman incorporated some to soften the look of the concrete. Douglas fir was used on the ceiling, and the loft is made with reclaimed birch.
Although this was the first home that he had built for his parents, it wasn't Feldman's first project with his dad. When he was fresh out of grad school, one of his first projects was to work on a library for his dad in his parents' home in Palo Alto, Calif. "My dad is a bit of a book hoarder," Feldman says, "and it just killed my mother that he had these endless piles of books lying around the house."
Although this was the first home that he had built for his parents, it wasn't Feldman's first project with his dad. When he was fresh out of grad school, one of his first projects was to work on a library for his dad in his parents' home in Palo Alto, Calif. "My dad is a bit of a book hoarder," Feldman says, "and it just killed my mother that he had these endless piles of books lying around the house."
"I know my parents, and I know how they live," says Feldman. "That was a huge benefit in this project. I know what their patterns are. I know what rooms my dad will use the most, and what exactly he meant when he said he wanted privacy. There's a depth to this house, because of our relationship — one that you don't always get with other clients."
Lewis Butler
Architect Lewis Butler designed and built this home for his parents on Stinson Beach in Marin County, California. This beautiful vacation home commemorates his family’s style, relationship with architecture, and love of nature. While construction on this home started in 1984, the design is based on a house built in 1935 for his grandmother by famed California architect William Wurster.
Architect Lewis Butler designed and built this home for his parents on Stinson Beach in Marin County, California. This beautiful vacation home commemorates his family’s style, relationship with architecture, and love of nature. While construction on this home started in 1984, the design is based on a house built in 1935 for his grandmother by famed California architect William Wurster.
The original home, in Santa Cruz, Calif., can be seen here in photos from Butler's grandmother's journal, a cherished heirloom that chronicles the construction of this family estate. Butler's grandmother had rejected two of Wurster's initial designs, claiming that they weren't unique enough. The third design was to her liking.
It had a courtyard surrounding a large oak tree located in the back of the residence. For Butler's grandmother, this made just the right statement about the relationship between the indoors and the outdoors. Once completed, this home became a haven for Butler's family. "I have a lot of memories from that house," says Butler.
It had a courtyard surrounding a large oak tree located in the back of the residence. For Butler's grandmother, this made just the right statement about the relationship between the indoors and the outdoors. Once completed, this home became a haven for Butler's family. "I have a lot of memories from that house," says Butler.
However, the house was sold in the 1980s. But soon after, Butler started to work on a house for his parents located on a piece of property at Stinson Beach. As in many endeavors that involve parents and children, conflicts inevitably arose between Butler and his dad throughout the design process. "I remember one time in particular when we had a huge argument about windows," Butler laughs. "We had blue tape up all over the windows, trying to figure out what looked best. We couldn't agree on anything at first! But the nice part about the process is that once the house started to come together, my dad loved it. Disagreements like that tended to fade away."
While the original house had a full four-square courtyard, the Stinson Beach house that Butler designed wasn't able to accomplish the same scale due to space constraints. "The house I built is almost like the offspring of the original Santa Cruz house," Butler says. "It has the same genes, but with some updates."
The courtyard of the original home can be seen in more photos from Butler's grandmother's journal during the construction, with the stately oak tree visible in the center of construction in the second shot.
The courtyard of the original home can be seen in more photos from Butler's grandmother's journal during the construction, with the stately oak tree visible in the center of construction in the second shot.
Butler has worked with his father on at least three residences. “I really enjoy working with my father because he’s incredibly easy to work with. The design process is very straightforward, because he knows exactly what he wants,” Butler says. For example, with the Yolo County Cabin that Butler designed for his parents, his dad knew right away that he wanted a water tower. No exceptions. “He’s very hands-off with the intricate details of a project, but loves coming up with the concepts,” says Butler. “He’s somewhat of an architect’s dream. He sets the goals and tends to stick to them. And he’s all about practicality and simplicity.”
This tendency to prioritize practical and simple concepts — rather than focusing on fluff — is something that can definitely be seen in Butler's work. For this Stinson Beach home, he opted to use shingles for the exterior. While this is a slight homage to the East Coast, it's also a very functional choice. The beach can be an extreme environment, and shingles are sturdy and can be easily repaired.
Today, the house is still used frequently by the Butler family, although it did undergo a recent remodel. While the remodel updated the home considerably, it still maintains the same simple aesthetic. "My dad doesn't really have a style so much as he has a living style," Butler explains.
"The homes I've built for my parents aren't complicated, and they're not fancy. They're homes where you go and simply enjoy what happens there. Here, you just enjoy the beauty of what's around you."
Today, the house is still used frequently by the Butler family, although it did undergo a recent remodel. While the remodel updated the home considerably, it still maintains the same simple aesthetic. "My dad doesn't really have a style so much as he has a living style," Butler explains.
"The homes I've built for my parents aren't complicated, and they're not fancy. They're homes where you go and simply enjoy what happens there. Here, you just enjoy the beauty of what's around you."
Bay Area architect Jonathan Feldman designed this Carmel Valley home as a second home for his parents. Although this residence was designed as a place for both his mother and his father, his parents ended up directing the design process in very different ways. While his mother was much more interested in the design and aesthetic of the house, his father’s primary concerns were focused on preserving the land, appreciating the area, and creating an eco-friendly home.