Two decades after completion, this MDa Studios renovation continues to feel fresh, relevant, and intimately connected to its hillside setting, a testament to the firm’s enduring commitment to timeless design. Originally a modest ranch house perched on one of San Francisco’s many hills, the property’s most extraordinary asset, sweeping views of the Bay, had been left untapped. The MDa intervention reintroduced the home to the surrounding landscape, replacing a wall-bound entry and enclosed plan with newly framed vistas that connect rooms to one another and to the outdoors. Key moves included opening the entry to capture the view over a new stair to the added floor below, expanding the kitchen and dining area into a light-filled addition, and improving connection and visibility between spaces with thoughtful circulation.
Signature MDa elements, including floor glass, interior windows, and strategic sightlines, were introduced to bring daylight deep into the house, highlight existing strengths of the original building, and preserve the sense of a grounded, cohesive home. A new primary suite and the new stair to the added floor below took over the footprint of a pair of small bedrooms that previously faced the views beyond. Those bedrooms were moved one floor down and still boast dramatic views thanks to the steeply sloping site, and the original viewless Primary Bedroom was transformed into a cozy guest suite with lovely French doors that open out onto a private entry courtyard.
The recent project refresh offered an ideal opportunity to observe and reaffirm these enduring design principles. Every adjustment, from light and view strategies to circulation and spatial openness, reflects MDa’s philosophy that smart, context-driven design remains relevant over time. By prioritizing stacked open circulation, natural daylighting strategies, and a thoughtful relationship between additions and the existing structure, the home demonstrates that timelessness is not merely an aesthetic consideration, but also a sustainable approach. The house today continues to feel both contemporary and intimate, a clear example of how MDa’s careful interventions create lasting spaces that respond to their setting while embracing the evolving needs of its inhabitants.
Photography by Mariko Reed.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.