BAHA Preservation Awards 2007

Part Three

Residential


A second-floor balcony marks the transition from old to new. (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

Daniels House rear & stone staircase (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

Mark Daniels House
1864 Yosemite Road
(A.W. Smith, 1910)

One of the earliest homes in Thousand Oaks, the Mark Daniels House was built in 1910 for the landscape engineer who laid out the tract. A shingle-clad Arts & Crafts structure with wide roof overhangs, the house is sited midway down a rock-strewn, sloping lot. Gigantic boulders hem it in on three sides, creating a uniquely scenic setting but also a challenge for appropriate renovation.

Over the past seven years, the current owner has sensitively preserved andexpanded the house while also improving the front and rear gardens to reflect the character of the building.


The addition hides behind Oak Rock. (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

A recent two-story addition replacing a previously altered kitchen is at the center of the award-winning project. Sited one story below the rest of the house and hidden behind a large boulder, the new addition preserves the building’s historic fa�ade. In materials and proportions, the addition beautifully echoes the historic fabric of the original building while claiming its place as a contemporary structure.


Terracing and paths make use of the entire steep garden. (photos: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

Careful attention was paid to the minutest detail: rooflines, windows, matched shingles, and countless features not obvious to the casual observer all converge into a harmonious whole.

In the rear, the addition presents a fa�ade with varying setbacks, whose appearance suggests a rustic village built over time. The rear garden was transformed into a magical place where ancient oaks and crags overlook dry-stone walls, terraces, and winding paths, all utilizing local stone. A grand “Arts & Crafts” stone staircase leads from the new addition to the lower level of the garden, and new trees and shrubs complement the native hillside.

BAHA congratulates all involved in this stellar project for an exceptional level of design andcraftsmanship.



Colby House (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

The remodeled kitchen (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)

Henry V. and Ruth H. Colby House
210 Stonewall Road
(William Wilson Wurster, architect, 1931, 1941;
Thomas Church, landscape architect, 1934
)

Henry Colby, the son of Sierra Club pioneer William Colby, grew up in a shingled Julia Morgan house at 2901 Channing Way. According to legend, he hired Wurster to design his residence since he had lived long enough in a “dark” house. Wurster gave the Colbys a spacious, light-filled home arranged on the slope of a gentle canyon, with the cupola of the Claremont Hotel in its mid-view and a panorama of San Francisco Bay beyond.

Unoccupied for a number of years, the house was purchased from the Colby family in 2002 by longtime admirers of Wurster, both of whom are architects trained at U.C. Berkeley. Over the next four years, they focused their talents and efforts on extensive interior and exterior restoration, with constant reference to the resources of the Wurster Document Collection at the University.

Overcoming many challenges, with their exceptional taste and restraint they were able to create a contemporary kitchen completely within the original spirit (and envelope) of the house. Likewise, a family room, hinted at in the original plans, was developed in open space on the upper level and is totally concomitant with the Wurster work.


Original windows look down to the garden below. (photo: Daniella Thompson, 2007)
 

With the same attention and devotion to the original, the feminine half of the couple rescued the inherited Thomas Church garden, which had been reduced to parched earth and weeds. The original wood walls and steps have been rebuilt, and substantial new plantings arranged with utmost respect to the Church geometry. The fit of the landscape with the house and its contemporary feel are testimony to both the 70+ year old “modern” concept of Thomas Church and the sensitive talent of the garden’s owner.

Both the Colby House and its owners are fortunate—it is a perfect match. The architects profess that they have learned invaluable lessons in architectural restraint, proportion, and the establishment of elegant spaces through this challenging project. For people who have visited their home, this fact is abundantly evident.

The house was included in the 1945 exhibit “Modern Houses” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.


Commendation


Buckley House, 1974 (photo: Elizabeth Crews)

Kate M. Buckley House
2022 Dwight Way
(architect unknown, 1894)


Buckley House, 2007 (photo: Daniella Thompson)

Situated across the street from Herrick Hospital, this Queen Anne was once part of a Victorian row of hosues on the south side of the street. Sadly, its twin at 2024 Dwight Way has been demolished and replaced with a parking lot.

BAHA recognizes and commends the preservation and excellent condition that the current owners have bestowed on the property. Although the house has seen several changes over its life, it continues to grace this very busy city block. Recent work exterior painting has greatly enhanced the building’s appearance. The subtle beige chosen for the walls is complemented by simple white in the trim and ornaments, including the turned porch columns, wooden tracery over the windows, and the sunburst motifs in the gables.



Awards 2007


Copyright © 2007–2023 BAHA. All rights reserved.