Of Glass and Stone
Architects David Darling and Joshua Aidlin draw on texture and illumination to craft a modern vineyard retreat
Standing above a 140-acre vineyard near Glen Ellen, the 14,000-square-foot
stone-and-glass home created by Aidlin Darling Design is carefully
choreographed to seem more intimate than intimidating.
A bridgelike entrance floats over a long reflecting
pool that bisects the
structure, connecting two wings of the home. On the side of
the entry hall leading to the sleeping quarters, a lush bamboo
garden shimmers through sandblasted glass panels that reflect
light and leaf imagery in changing
patterns throughout the day. “It’s like a shadow
puppet show,” says Aidlin Darling principal David Darling,
AIA. “There’s a kinetic quality to the bamboo waving
through the glass.”
Patterns of light and movement are an integral part of Darling’s
design, a 2006 American Institute of Architects, East Bay, award
winner. Openings in an exterior loggia near the reflecting pool
turn into stripes of rippling light that play on the ceiling
of the interior walls. A window in an unseen corner alcove illuminates
a sculptural bathtub. Art pieces are placed in the garden to
cast different shadows throughout the day so that the whole property
becomes, as Darling says, “a timepiece.”
“The owners wanted a quiet, simple color palette,” he
says of the white and gray rooms trimmed in dark mahogany, “so
we used texture and light in the way that other designers might
have used color.”
For all the majesty of the overall structure,
the interior spaces were
designed on a more human scale. “The sleeping spaces are
intentionally modest and nestle into the hillside,” says
Darling, “ in order to feel more enveloping.”
Corridors serve as art galleries, displaying pieces by
such luminaries as David Nash and Sol LeWitt. On the upper
level of the main wing, his and hers offices stand across
from an elegant powder room that recalls a well-appointed
confessional and lead to a media-savvy family room.
Descending to the lower level, the reading room windows
slide into the walls so you feel as though you’re standing in
the reflecting pool. Bookshelves made of English brown oak line
the interior wall, and beyond, a two-story living room with an
altarlike fireplace column showcases the stunning vineyard view.
At the far side of the room, an extensive kitchen suite, with
a butler’s pantry, scullery, and “hot and cold” room,
stands ready to nourish a crowd. The breakfast room looks out
over an infinity pool.
The surrounding topography and vineyard alignment
make orientation slightly confusing within the house,
so the architects used visual and textural cues throughout
to indicate transition areas or points of arrival. “The owner has a keen interest in cartography,” says
Darling. “We designed the home as though we were drawing
a map—with materials and design details that help you locate
where you are in the structure.” A stone step at the base
of white oak steps indicates a transition. Aligned views through
door openings and windows give a sense of place.
When possible, the architects tried to incorporate
green design principles and materials. The orientation,
large overhangs, and clerestory windows
create effective passive heating and cooling systems that
complement a geothermal system and radiant heating.
Reclaimed materials, such as the teak entry flooring and the grape
stakes from the original 1950s vineyard used as barn’s siding, honor the
site’s history. The outbuildings, including a rammed earth
caretaker’s house, stand as sentries to the loftier hillside
home. “All three structures were designed to fit their
location and their purpose,” says Darling. “We felt
a huge responsibility to do what was right for the land.”
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