Mork-Ulnes Architects has completed another project, the renovation of a 1950s modernist house created by Roger Lee and located in the Berkeley Hills, California. The building’s design pays homage to the original mid-20th-century spatial design while taking into account the needs of contemporary users. The architects carried out the modernisation in a restrained and thoughtful manner, preserving the building’s historic values and exposing its relationship to the landscape.
Roger Lee’s legacy
Situated in the Berkeley hills overlooking San Francisco Bay, the house was an example of architecture in which Roger Lee combined global modernism with local craft traditions. In the designs created for the middle class, Lee used affordable space, open layouts and material-exposing construction. He drew inspiration from the work of Bernard Maybeck and other Bay Area architects, among others. This is a large metropolitan region in Northern California, encompassing the cities of San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose and surrounding areas.
Renovation of a 1950s house with respect for the original
The initial plan was to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms only. However, after analysing the design and massing of the house, the architects decided on a more comprehensive approach. Their aim was to free up space and strengthen the relationship between interior and exterior. To this end, the number of partition walls was reduced, opening up the previously closed kitchen to the living room. This brought more daylight into the interior and gave the picturesque view of the bay better exposure. The central part of the house, where the utility functions are concentrated, has been clad in wooden panels and incorporated into the layout with attention to materials and detail. Juxtaposed with the prominent ceiling beams, slatted ceiling and large glazing, it creates a contrast that reinforces Lee’s original design language.
Design as an element of identity
One of the building’s most distinctive elements is the nail-laminated timber (NLT) ceiling, made using a technique that is rarely used in contemporary construction but is gaining recognition again thanks to the growing interest in solid wood technologies. Although this method is material-intensive, it achieves a thin and strong roof envelope. The planar layout and ribbons of windows reinforce the impression of an intermingling of the interior space with the landscape outside. The view of the bay and the green garden forms an integral part of the architectural concept of the house.
Design in the spirit of place
The renovation of the Berkeley Hills house is in keeping with the philosophy set out in the monograph ‘The Craft of Place’, in which Mork-Ulnes Architects emphasise the importance of context, the relationship between tradition and modernity, and moderation in the choice of materials. In the project in question, these principles translated into design decisions regarding light, scale and the use of timber. The principle of ‘no more, no less’ has been maintained at every stage of implementation. The new arrangement uses materials consistent with the original design language. The tiled floor was replaced with red oak, and the new kitchen units were made of wood, integrating appliances and countertops in an almost invisible way. Red mosaics appeared in the bathrooms, hidden behind veneered doors, in keeping with the idea of alternately revealing and concealing functions.
Sustainability in practice
A key aspect of the project was the material reduction strategy. The architects decided to retain as much as 99 per cent of the existing structure. This approach offers an alternative to traditional retrofit methods and demonstrates that the quality of a space can be significantly improved even with limited intervention. A responsible approach to the existing building stock is capable of producing both aesthetic and environmental results.
Renovation of a 1950s house and the contemporary relevance of modernism
Mork-Ulnes Architects’ project continues the tradition of mid-century modernism while raising questions about contemporary architectural challenges. Lessons from Roger Lee’s philosophy, such as efficiency, adaptability and exposing structure, become more relevant in the context of the growing need for responsible resource management.
Design: Mork-Ulnes Architects
Design team: Casper Mork-Ulnes, Lexie Mork-Ulnes, Max Sanchez, Alicia Hergenroeder
Location: Berkeley Hills, California
Plot size: 505 sq m.
Floor area: 134 sq. m.
Number of rooms: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Photos: Joe Fletcher
