Awarded a merit in the accessory building category of this year’s Builder’s Choice Design Awards program, the Healdsburg Guest House in Northern California wine country provides sanctuary, destination, lodging, and entertainment despite square footage limitations.
Adam Potts
The San Francisco–based clients envisioned flexible spaces to support indoor-outdoor living by the pool and to house a large number of family and friends while visiting. Architect Amy A. Alper—with Robinwood Construction and Roche + Roche Landscape Architecture—designed a 640-square-foot building reminiscent of a resort-like cabana with symmetrical wings to draw visitors to a covered courtyard. Paired trellises with warm cedar undersides extend the reach of each wing and offer seating areas that differ in use.
Under one, group seating orients away from the pool to capture the hillside panorama. It also faces the yoga room with a large glass bi-fold patio door to enjoy, glare-free, a pivoting television that retracts into the interior ceiling. The TV, when turned toward the yoga room, allows for joining a remote class.
In addition to the yoga space, visitors will find an office, a bedroom, and a bathroom designed with spa-like appeal inside the resort-influenced structure.
