The Wraparound House by SAW is a beautiful example of a 1930s Spanish Revival home, situated in San Francisco.

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This article was written by Dio Alvaro and published on uni.xyz, a platform for design professionals and creative thinkers.

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This article covers topics related to Residential Building, Architecture. The subtlety and curves of the home's design are what make it so special.

The subtlety and curves of the home's design are what make it so special.

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Dio Alvaro published News under Residential Building, Architecture on Sep 2, 2022

The Wraparound House by SAW - Spiegel Aihara Workshop is an architectural renovation of a 1930s Spanish Revival home in San Francisco. The project adds 4,738 square feet of interior space for the family, including the garage. The new landscape provides ample outdoor space for the family to enjoy.

Team2122022 09 02T10 02 47 109501 A mixture of plants are included on the roof

Team2122022 09 02T10 10 11 244834 The Wraparound House is in San Francisco

The project not only offered the chance to recover the best features of a historic home but also to remediate and stabilize a landfill subsurface beneath the home. Excavation of the top 4-6 feet of soil was necessary for remediation of the ground condition. Excavating the top layer of soil allowed the entire house to be lifted and the foundation was replaced with a thicker mat slab. Redistributing load and shear-bearing walls throughout the ground floor opened up possibilities for a different spatial configuration with three interlocking bedrooms across a 25-foot width.

Team2122022 09 02T10 03 27 981063 The home's layout offers a separation between public and private areas

Team2122022 09 02T10 12 56 232800

The ground plane is lifted up through a series of terraces on four levels to create a continuous experience of the landscape. This was made possible by the soil remediation process. SAW partner and landscape architect Megumi Aihara started from scratch with the landscape, bringing in new soil to support new planting. Artificial turf was used for lawns where the earth was not already in place. Artificial turf also contributes to site drainage and reduces overall water use.

Team2122022 09 02T10 03 50 553141 Curved surfaces in the home's interior, create a softer and more inviting atmosphere.

The new planting provides a structured but loose backdrop to the house, emphasizing contrasting textures with round sheared boxwoods set within soft billowy grasses.

Team2122022 09 02T10 04 17 008996 The property also boasts a formal living room.

Interior stairs serve as the core of a house, while exterior stairs provide access to different levels via an outdoor terrace. Each level has another relationship to the outdoors, with the roof terrace providing stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay.

Team2122022 09 02T10 04 41 114584 SAW utilized curved elements and multiple staircases in its design.

Team2122022 09 02T10 13 51 483386 Stepped terraces are joined by spiral staircases.

The roundness theme was inspired by the many arched doorways in the existing house. Curved arches were cut up and flattened so that interior corners would be smooth, rounded surfaces encircling the central, sculptural stair of the house. The name "Wraparound" comes from the slight variation in corner geometry. Curving surfaces bend light gently, making it difficult to see where one space ends and another begins and defining movement throughout the house.