Houzz TV: Love and Geometry in an Inspired One-of-a-Kind House
Architect Bart Prince designed the inventive sculptural addition for this Los Altos, California, home
Annie Thornton
October 6, 2015
Houzz Editorial Staff
“It’s difficult to describe our home,” Margo Seymour says. Nestled among the trees in the city of Los Altos, California, about 40 miles south of San Francisco, Margo and Dale Seymour’s house has a light-filled volume of geometric glass, acrylic, steel and wood that projects into the landscape. “It’s a house that lights up children’s eyes,” Margo says. Experience it yourself in a video that guides you through and around this one-of-a-kind residence.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Dale and Margo Seymour
Location: Los Altos, California
Architect: Bart Prince
When the couple decided to remodel the house in the 1980s — up until that point it had been a midcentury cabin — architect Bart Prince encouraged them to build something that reflected who they were. “When Bart said, ‘No one needs to live in a box,’ he opened up worlds for me,” Margo says.
Dale had previously run a publishing company that produced enrichment materials connecting arts, mathematics and geometry. Prince, whose distinct architectural style has earned him global recognition, channeled Dale’s passion for geometry when he designed the home’s addition.
Shingle paneling blends the original portion of the house with the addition. “When we were building the house, I had a recurring dream that I was sheltered by a giant bird, and when I looked carefully at the bird, his feathers were shingles,” Margo says. “The house is a sheltering bird to me.”
Watch now: See more of this amazing shingled home in the trees
Who lives here: Dale and Margo Seymour
Location: Los Altos, California
Architect: Bart Prince
When the couple decided to remodel the house in the 1980s — up until that point it had been a midcentury cabin — architect Bart Prince encouraged them to build something that reflected who they were. “When Bart said, ‘No one needs to live in a box,’ he opened up worlds for me,” Margo says.
Dale had previously run a publishing company that produced enrichment materials connecting arts, mathematics and geometry. Prince, whose distinct architectural style has earned him global recognition, channeled Dale’s passion for geometry when he designed the home’s addition.
Shingle paneling blends the original portion of the house with the addition. “When we were building the house, I had a recurring dream that I was sheltered by a giant bird, and when I looked carefully at the bird, his feathers were shingles,” Margo says. “The house is a sheltering bird to me.”
Watch now: See more of this amazing shingled home in the trees
Glass, acrylic, steel and glued laminated timber, called glulam, surround an open, light-filled living space, in which all the angles were rigorously calculated. The homeowners keep their furniture and decor simple, allowing the architecture to speak uninterrupted.
Carpeting is used throughout the house and covers many interior walls, serving as a noise dampener in the mostly open house and making the house feel cozier. “It’s a very practical way to cover irregular surfaces,” Margo says. A free-standing spiral staircase in the middle leads up to the master bedroom.
Carpeting is used throughout the house and covers many interior walls, serving as a noise dampener in the mostly open house and making the house feel cozier. “It’s a very practical way to cover irregular surfaces,” Margo says. A free-standing spiral staircase in the middle leads up to the master bedroom.
The master bedroom overlooks the interior of the house, like a nest perched high in a tree. The room is open on all sides, surrounded by windows, and airy and light, like the rest of the house. “I wake up and look out on the trees,” Margo says.
The slanted windows are constructed with an acrylic glass substitute called Exolite. “My understanding of the code in California is you can’t put regular glass in a nonvertical position,” Dale says. “I was concerned about the plastic,” he says, but “the first time I came home from work and they were putting in the first sheet of it, I looked up and there were two workers standing on a sheet of it. That’s how strong it is. It’s much stronger than regular glass.”
The slanted windows are constructed with an acrylic glass substitute called Exolite. “My understanding of the code in California is you can’t put regular glass in a nonvertical position,” Dale says. “I was concerned about the plastic,” he says, but “the first time I came home from work and they were putting in the first sheet of it, I looked up and there were two workers standing on a sheet of it. That’s how strong it is. It’s much stronger than regular glass.”
Dale started sculpting after he retired, and now many of his mathematically inspired pieces decorate their 1⅓-acre property. Five interlocking cubes comprise the colorful sculpture on the left, Dale’s favorite piece; it was also his first. “To me it’s beautiful because of the mathematical relations and the golden section ratio,” Dale says. “I have to admit I stole it from a guy,” he adds — Archimedes.
Watch now: See more of this amazing shingled home in the trees
Watch now: See more of this amazing shingled home in the trees
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Dear Houzz, why can't we rewind, pause, or do any typical video functions with your videos?
We have been Cleaning the Windows in this beautiful unique home for over 15 years.
Our crews get excited each year that we go out to clean it.
Thank you Mr & Mrs Seymour for you business & Loyalty !
Lisa Kristel, when you hover over the video you should see the video pause rewind and volume controls.