Up In The Clouds is a minimalist residence located in San Francisco, California, designed by Michael Hennessey Architecture. This fully renovated three-story 1962 Eichler residence in foggy windy Diamond Heights neighborhood includes fourth-level addition making home more functional for growing young family. Upper level contains family room, bathroom, and roof deck addressing fundamental issue where new family room location two levels above living-dining-kitchen level risked not being used daily through solution adding bridge at rear fourth level connecting directly to upslope rear yard.
This bridge allows children running to backyard from family room down concrete terraced planters to courtyard level into kitchen activating steep hillside. The circulation strategy demonstrates how topographic challenges can become design opportunities where grade changes enable direct connections between non-adjacent building levels, transforming what might appear as problematic site condition into functional advantage supporting active family lifestyle requiring easy indoor-outdoor movement.
Given Eichler home location within historic district, care sets back fourth-level addition from front elevation respecting existing structure massing as viewed from street. However, upper level addition and existing building stitch together with cement board panel rainscreen when viewed from courtyard and rear yard, demonstrating how additions can maintain street character while achieving visual integration from private elevations where neighbors rather than general public constitute primary viewers.
Interior kitchen opens to dining and living areas while Shou Sugi Ban exterior siding enters home making connection to custom kitchen cabinetry. Existing post-and-beam structure receives respect at bedroom level with new mahogany panels detailed minimally nodding to original wood panels within home. This material continuity demonstrates how exterior treatments can inform interior finishes creating spatial coherence where inside-outside boundaries blur through surface consistency.
