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Swatt + Partners Shape a Hillside Home Overlooking San Francisco Bay

ByMyProperty Life

Rising along a ridgeline above San Francisco Bay, the Lagoon View Residence occupies a steep site in Tiburon, California, reached by a sequence of snaking roads that open onto sweeping views of the city skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Pacific beyond. The residence was realized through a recent remodel and addition to an existing home, with Swatt + Partners shaping the work as a contemporary intervention that takes direction from its setting.

Three-story modern house with large glass balconies, elevated on stilts, surrounded by grasses and trees on a sloped landscape under a clear blue sky.

Originally a 4,753-square-foot house that had undergone a series of renovations, the existing structure was visually and spatially fragmented. In response, Swatt + Partners unified the house into a more cohesive composition with a plan that remains consistent from one level to the next. Open sightlines and an expanded relationship to the exterior were central to this reorganization, allowing views to register fully throughout the interior. The plan prioritizes clarity of movement and orientation, while materials and structure work together to anchor the home to its hillside location.

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Modern house with wood and white exterior, surrounded by trees and landscaping, situated on a hillside with a view of distant mountains and city.

Modern house with large glass balconies overlooking a scenic hillside at sunset, with a landscaped path and greenery in the foreground.

Modern house with white geometric shapes and concrete walls, surrounded by trees and landscaped garden, with sunlight filtering through the branches.

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Shifts between openness and enclosure shape the experience of Lagoon View. On the north, entry-facing side, solid stone volumes and vertical structural elements establish a sense of weight and enclosure. To the south and west, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, a cantilevered roof, and terrace extensions open the interior to bay views. These horizontal projections extend living spaces outward to create a continuous relationship between interior rooms and exterior decks while providing shade and framing sightlines.

A modern two-story house with wood and white exterior walls, glass balconies, and a landscaped yard with trees, plants, and outdoor seating.

A modern, minimalist hallway with wood and concrete walls, tiled floor, and sunlight casting geometric shadows, leading to a glass door with a view outside.

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Modern building corridor with stone walls, glass railing, concrete bench, and view into a room with large windows and ocean in the background.

Modern minimalist entryway with large wooden pivot door, floor-to-ceiling glass panels, wood flooring, and outdoor seating area visible through the glass.

Modern living room with light wood floors and ceiling, a gray couch, black decorative vases on a console, and a large dark abstract wall art on a white wall.

Modern living room with large glass windows, neutral furniture, and a view of a coastal landscape with water and hills in the background.

Interior spaces by local firm Leverone Design showcase a balance between custom work and select made-to-order pieces, including works from the likes of Coup d’État, Jun Aizaki, Holly Hunt, and more. Outdoor furnishings from Zachary A. Design, RH, and Niche are arranged along the deck in response to the expansive bay-facing vistas, while a restrained approach throughout the interiors sets the stage for the clients’ capacious art collection, which includes works by Pablo Picasso, Ansel Adams, Salvador Dalí, Alberto Giacometti, Lin Fengmian, Wu Guanzhong, and Henry Moore.

Modern living room with large windows, neutral furnishings, and a round coffee table; expansive views of mountains and water visible outside.

Modern living room with large glass doors open to a balcony, neutral furniture, a vase of orange flowers, and a view of hills and water in the background.

Modern dining room with a long table, ten chairs, large windows with city and mountain views, minimalist decor, and a contemporary chandelier.

Modern outdoor terrace with seating area, glass railing, and a firepit, overlooking a city and water at sunset. Interior living room is visible through large open sliding doors.

Modern living room with gray sofas, a round coffee table with flowers, wooden ceiling, large windows, and neutral decor.

Landscape design by Berkeley, California–based Thuilot Associates responds directly to the property’s natural topography, with paths stepping down the hillside through planted terraces and outdoor rooms, tracing the slope from street level to the lower edge of the property. Material continuity also carries through the exterior envelope, where integrally colored cement plaster, stained tongue-and-groove cedar siding, Windsor limestone, and clear anodized aluminum windows form a cohesive palette, executed by Stroub Construction. Together, these elements reinforce the home’s spatial clarity and its relationship to the surrounding terrain.

Modern living room with a gray chaise lounge, round coffee table, vase of orange flowers, abstract wall art, and a view into a white kitchen with marble backsplash and bar stools.

Modern open-plan living room and kitchen with gray furniture, a round coffee table with orange flowers, bar stools at a white island, and wood-paneled ceiling.

Modern kitchen with white cabinetry, marble island, four woven barstools, large windows, and sliding doors opening to an outdoor dining area with trees visible outside.

A modern living room with a large sectional sofa, coffee table, armchair, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a view of greenery outside.

Modern home office with a chair, desk, open book, sculpture, and vases with greenery, set beside large windows overlooking a scenic landscape with hills and water.

Modern home office with large windows, a desk, office chair, bookshelves, two armchairs, a coffee table with flowers, and a view of a balcony and water outside.

View looking up at a rectangular opening framed by light-colored walls and a wooden ceiling, with sunlight casting rectangular shadows and a clear blue sky visible above.

A modern bedroom with a large window showing a tree outside, featuring a yellow chair, gray dresser, and a neatly made bed with neutral bedding and yellow accents.

Modern bathroom with a floating double-sink vanity, dark floor tiles, a wall mirror, a towel hanging on the right, and a vase with branches on the counter.

Modern patio with white columns and overhanging roof, overlooking a landscaped garden, water, and a distant cityscape at dusk.

A modern house with large glass windows and balconies is illuminated at dusk, overlooking a cityscape and water in the distance, with landscaped gardens and pathways in the foreground.

To learn more about the Lagoon View Residence by Swatt + Partners, visit swattpartners.com.

Photography by Matthew Millman.

Hayley Arsenault is a writer and editor covering architecture, interiors, and product design. Her background in design studies informs an interest in material, process, and how spaces are made and used.

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