Round House / Feldman Architecture

Architects: Feldman Architecture
Area: 5103 ft²
Year: 2020
Project Architect: Anjali Iyer
Partner In Charge: Steven Stept
Designer: Humbeen Geo
Photographs: Adam Rouse
Civil Engineering: Lea + Braze Engineering Inc
Landscape Design: Variegated Green
Structural Engineering: BKG Structural Engineers
Geotechnical Consulting: Romig Engineers Inc
Lighting: Tucci Lighting
Arborist: Urban Tree Management
General Contractor: Baywest Builders
City: Los Altos Hills
Country: United States

Round House residential project by Feldman Architecture in Los Altos Hills, California responds to the challenges of circular geometry through a renovation centered on spatial sequencing, daylight, and connection to landscape. The design repositions the kitchen at the core beneath a circular skylight and introduces curved rooms, pocket doors, and a wraparound deck to enhance flow and openness. Shou Sugi Ban siding, concrete floors, and restrained interiors support a cohesive formal strategy. Custom architectural solutions resolve functional constraints while maintaining the integrity of the home’s original radial form.

After moving in, the clients quickly recognized that the home’s eccentric geometry came with practical limitations. The low-slung window eaves, though part of the original character, noticeably blocked the surrounding views and darkened the interior. What began as a modest renovation evolved into a comprehensive redesign focused on resolving these constraints. The aim shifted toward improving light access, usability, and alignment between the home’s layout and its steep hillside site, while carefully maintaining the circular plan that initially drew the clients to the house.

Positioned on a steep hillside, the 5,103-square-foot house features a 180-degree panorama and a continuous deck encircling its perimeter. The central courtyard, which was previously open to the sky, was transformed into the kitchen. Designed to support a household centered around baking and food preparation, the kitchen now serves as the spatial core. A large circular skylight above introduces shifting daylight into the space, acting as a temporal marker and highlighting different sections of the curved cabinetry as the day progresses.

From the main entry, the layout flows through an open-plan living area, into the kitchen, and out toward the deck. Circulation continues along a curved walkway around the house. A concentric hallway encloses the kitchen and leads to a series of pie-shaped rooms that organize private and shared areas. At the junction between the living room and kitchen, an outdoor deck space opens toward the South Bay. Curved pocket doors slide into the walls, establishing an uninterrupted connection between the interior and exterior. The perimeter deck also provides access from each bedroom, while radiating landscape walls extend into a planted softscape that anchors the house to its sloped setting.

Material selections reinforce the home’s formal clarity: Shou Sugi Ban wood siding, continuous concrete floors, and curved white interior walls create a restrained backdrop that emphasizes the views. Minimal furnishings avoid visual distraction. The circular geometry posed ongoing challenges that required the design and construction teams to develop non-standard solutions tailored to the home’s shape. These strategies provided a direct and thoughtful architectural response to the structure’s original form and its steep site.

The renovation of the Round House preserves its original circular form while improving spatial clarity and connection to the site. Feldman Architecture addressed the home’s constraints with tailored solutions, enhancing both function and livability. The result is a refined update that respects the structure’s legacy and strengthens its relationship to the landscape.