A circular home perched on a hillside in Los Altos Hills, California, got a modern makeover that anchored it firmly into the 21st century.
The architecturally distinct, 5,103-square-foot circular house was thoroughly renovated by San Francisco-based practice Feldman Architecture, to extraordinary results.
The extensive remodel brought the house down to its studs, completely rebuilding the geometrically unique structure to make the most of its prime location — on a hillside in Silicon Valley, surrounded by a lush nature reserve.
The end result is a beautiful enhancement of the house’s original form, one that delivered both a refreshed exterior design and inviting, contemporary living spaces that open to the surrounding nature.
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The owners fell in love with its unique architecture
According to the architecture firm, the owners of the Los Altos Hills house fell in love with its quirky architecture and only had a modest remodel in mind for their newly purchased home.
However, after moving in, the need for a more comprehensive renovation soon became apparent. Apart from some dated living spaces, the house also featured low eaves that obstructed access to views.
They hired an award-winning design practice to breathe new life into the 1960s-built home
They commissioned Feldman Architecture — an award-winning design practice recognized for creating warm, light-filled spaces that are site-sensitive and carefully crafted — to upgrade the home, now aptly named the Round House.
An extensive remodel transformed the circular house
Built in the 1960s, the circular home’s original structure — referred to as the “doughnut house” — had an open-air courtyard in the center.
It “was really interesting and very awkward at the same time,” said Steven Stept, Project Principal. The public living areas faced the private wooded hillside, while bedrooms opened onto sprawling, exposed views of Silicon Valley.
The Round House’s central courtyard was turned into a kitchen with a skylight
The original central courtyard, once open to the sky, was turned into the kitchen — fitting for the home’s residents, an aspiring baker and a family of food enthusiasts.
The award-winning kitchen now features a large circular skylight that streams daylight into the space, creating a makeshift sundial that illuminates different sections of custom, curved casework throughout the day.
Contemporary living spaces and an open floorplan define the interiors
From the main entrance of the 5,103-square-foot home, visitors can effortlessly progress through the open-plan living room, kitchen, and spacious deck, which now feature a clean, decidedly contemporary design that makes each space more inviting and polished than the last.
Pie-shaped rooms provide privacy
A concentric hallway traces the kitchen, leading to discreet pie-shaped rooms carefully arranged to separate private spaces from common areas.
See also: Revisiting The Domestead, a unique geodesic dome house in L.A.
Making the most of its 180-degree views
An outdoor deck has been strategically carved out at the intersection of the living room and kitchen – framing sprawling views of the South Bay — which are also observed through the home’s generously sized windows.
They also added a wrap-around walkway to take in the views
Not settling for the outdoor deck alone, they also added a wrap-around walkway which provides each of the bedrooms with outdoor access.
Seamless transition to the outdoor areas
Tall, curved pocket doors vanish into the walls, creating a seamless indoor-outdoor connection. Meanwhile, outside, curved landscape walls radiate outward and blend into the thoughtfully designed softscape.
A challenging project, executed beautifully
Due to the challenges posed by the house’s unusual circular form, the project team had to look for creative solutions at every step of the way.
Since most conventional solutions favor straight geometry, thinking out of the box was central to the renovation project, with the team constantly adapting to the constraints of the unique project.
The team behind the project
While Feldman Architecture spearheaded the architecture and interior design aspects of the renovation — with Partner in Charge Stephen Stept and Anjali Iyer, Project Architect at the helm — the Round House’s stellar remodel was a team effort.
Baywest Builders served as the general contractor, Variegated Green handled the landscape design, with Lea + Braze Engineering (civil engineer), BKG Structural Engineers, Romig Engineers Inc. (geotechnical consultant), Tucci Lighting (lighting designer), Urban Tree Management (arborist) also contributing.
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