HAYES VALLEY HEALTH HOUSE San Francisco, CA

This 3 story home, built in the early ’90s, badly needed an update. Its dark, heavy-looking finishes and boring slog of a stair, topped by an undersized, half-hearted skylight, made this unique, shallow-plan home with good access to light and air feel nonetheless gloomy and uninviting.

The house was gutted and the main stair rebuilt, with a custom steel guardrail and rolling, retractable skylight at its summit that opens the entire stairwell roof to the sky. The stairs continue to a new roof deck with cantilevered glass guardrails and panoramic downtown views. Back inside, a light, minimalist palette of white walls, maple flooring and countertops, and a few key plan changes transform the home into an open, light-filled space.

The clients also desired a healthy home, with clean air, free of toxins and chemicals, and protected from EMF radiation. Working with a healthy-building consultant, LLA scrutinized all of the home’s materials, finishes, and systems, and utilized specialized techniques to block potentially harmful radiation from sleeping areas. Filtered heat recovery ventilation introduced fresh air while conserving heat to maintain energy efficiency and comfort.