This 1960s-era circular house was fully rebuilt and transformed by Feldman Architecture, tucked away in the Los Altos Hills, town in Santa Clara County, California. The aptly named Round House is a geometrically unique structure; one of a few similarly shaped circular homes built in the area. The clients fell in love with the quirky house and initially planned a modest remodel.

Soon after moving in, the pair recognized more serious inadequacies; in particular, the low window eaves which curiously obstructed the otherwise spectacular views. With views as the driving force, the owners took the opportunity to modernize the entire house and open it up for a more contemporary feel.

DESIGN DETAILS: ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN Feldman Architecture GENERAL CONTRACTOR Bay West Builders CIVIL ENGINEER Lea & Braze Engineering LANDSCAPE DESIGN Variegated Green Landscape Design STRUCTURAL ENGINEER BKG Structural Engineers GEOTECHNICAL CONSULTANT Romig Engineers ARBORIST Urban Tree Management LIGHTING DESIGNER Tucci Lighting

Perched atop a precipitous site, the 5,103-square-foot structure has 180-degree views with a deck that runs around its perimeter. The original central courtyard, once open-to-sky, has been transformed into the kitchen, an appropriate gesture for an aspiring baker and a family of food enthusiasts where cooking and gathering take centerstage.

A large, circular skylight streams daylight into the kitchen, creating a makeshift sundial that illuminates different sections of custom curved casework throughout the day. From the main entrance, visitors can effortlessly move through the open-plan living room, kitchen, and spacious deck before circumnavigating the house via a wrap-around walkway. 

A concentric hallway traces the kitchen, leading to discrete pie-shaped rooms carefully arranged to demarcate private spaces from common areas.

What We Love: This unique home has undergone an extensive renovation to capitalize on its hillside views over the Los Altos Hills. Expansive walls of glazing help to create a seamless flow between the interior and exterior while flooding the living spaces with natural light. We love the circular design of the kitchen and how the great room connects to the outdoor patio through sliding glass doors — idyllic for entertaining!

Tell Us: What are your overall thoughts on the transformation of this circular house? Let us know in the Comments below!

Note: Have a look at a couple of other wonderful home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign by the architects of this project, Feldman Architects: An airy woodland retreat nestled in Carmel’s Santa Lucia Preserve and Warm and inviting farmhouse style home in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Due to the challenges of its circular form, the project team had to look for creative solutions in each aspect of the venture. Most conventional solutions favor straight geometry, which made for a refreshing intervention that is an honest response to the constraints of this unique project.

An outdoor deck is strategically carved out at the intersection of the living room and kitchen—framing sprawling views of South Bay. Tall, curved pocket doors vanish into the walls, asserting a seamless indoor-outdoor connection.

Shou Sugi Ban (charred wood) siding, seamless concrete floors, crisp curved white walls, and minimalist interior furnishings let the colorful and dramatic views take the first position.

The modest perimeter deck allows outdoor access from all the bedrooms, while curved landscape walls radiate outward and into a thoughtful softscape.

Respectful of the home’s original form, the updated residence now fully embraces its location through a site-sensitive response to the steep, challenging plot.

PHOTOGRAPHER Adam Rouse Photography

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