Our designs for these two speculative houses in Noe Valley were inspired by the atrium houses designed in the 50’s for Bay Area developer Joseph Eichler. Entered via bridges from the street, the two houses share a sunken forecourt with stairs down to the lower level. A gull wing roof design and cantilevered elements at the front and rear of the house evoke the spirit of mid-Century modernism. The steeply down-sloping lot allowed us to provide sweeping views of the city from the two upper levels. Tall, skylit master suites at the lowest levels open out onto decks and the garden. Originally designed as mirrored images of each other, the design evolved through the negotiations of the right and left neighbors to respond to their differing needs.