This award-winning residence was designed for a family of modernists, on a street noted for its collection of contemporary architecture, and its impressive views. Constructed as a pair of side-by-side three-story volumes, the north half of Laidley House pushes out toward a panoramic view of San Francisco, and the south half recedes—inviting light and air to penetrate its interior, and to provide covered awning areas at key entry points. The stucco rear façade is articulated with structural steel channels, full-height openings, glass balconies and an upslope projection at the roofline.

A focal point of the interior, the intricate, grand four-story staircase is composed of water jet-cut steel supports and translucent acrylic treads and risers—disseminating daylight from the large, operable skylight above. Graphic architectural detailing and a consistent, tactile material palette carry throughout the open plan home, and custom structural steel and wood cabinetry are used to define spaces. On the top floor, the sunken living room is intimate and open at the same time—delineated by a low bank of built-in shelving that still allows a visual flow into the public communal spaces. The master suite occupies a floor of its own, one level below the entry, featuring a row of cabinetry in the long, dramatic space that frames private views.

The environmentally sensitive house was designed and built with sustainable principles, energy efficiency, low consumption and healthy materials as primary parameters. The panelized framing system was largely built off-site and craned into place, reducing waste and on-site construction time. A photovoltaic system provides nearly all of the required electricity for the home, and solar hot water panels reduce heating loads for the hydronic radiant heat and domestic hot water.