Architect Greg Truen, director at the Cape Town-based SAOTAtalked with about the residence SAOTA designed for a client he knows well: Truen himself and his small family.
There was no need to interpret the brief as it was very clear: “To create a house that made the most of the mountain site and the views that surround the house while obscuring the busy street and the surrounding houses from the view.”
The sightlines are, indeed, worth preserving as the residence sits below Lion’s Head with views of Table Mountain, Lion’s Head, Signal Hill, the city of Cape Town, the Boland mountains and the wine-growing region in the distance.
The architecture of the 9,150 sq. ft residence takes full advantage of the views and also of the characteristics of the land on which the house is situated. Natural rock and stone, geometric angles and no visually annoying colour or material accents that break the spell.
To keep the busy street blocked away, the house’s street-front wall is an imposing, traditional Cape stone wall.
The entrance, a large metal front door between the stone wall and the house proper, opens into a small lobby connected to a courtyard garden.
The three-level house’s top level has the most impressive views and the key living spaces are located on this level: the open-plan kitchen, the dining room and lounge. The family’s work and bedroom spaces are on the mid-level with the garage, gym, cinema and guest room on the lower level.
Each level has its own gardens and courtyards. These gardens extend from the mountain surface down against the house, screening the neighbouring buildings and allowing light into spaces that would otherwise be dark and isolated.
Landscaping of the project is byFranchesca Watson Garden Design, known for elegant projects all across Southern Africa, North America and the Seychelles, ranging in scope from individual gardens to entire estates and hotel properties.
After living in the residence for about a year, Greg Truen is happy and still describes the project with words that echo the brief. “The spaces are simple use-zones articulated by level changes in the floor and ceilings. There are gardens on every level which extend into the view creating the impression that the building sits in the mountain landscape. The inverted pyramid roof allows for views of the peaks of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain and allows one to track the movement of the sun and moon across the sky.”
The classic and elegant interior design of this project is by Cape Town-based interior design studio OKHA.T.Seipell.
Welcome to Can Brut on The Archipelago of Spain In The Mediterranean Sea
Can Brut is a family villa on the island of Ibiza located on an 914,932 square ft cove plot overlooking Spain’s Balearic Sea. The plot overlooks a relatively secluded cove with a small beach and a lovely swimming and snorkeling area favoured by locals on the otherwise rather touristy island of Ibiza that is one of the main Balearic Islands in addition to Majorca, Minorca, Carbera and Formentera.
The house was designed by Amsterdam, Paris and Ibiza-based Framework Studio founded by self-taught Dutch designer, Thomas Geerlings. The key characteristic of the villa is the use of local materials, including beautiful traditional stonework on the house and on the extensive garden walls. In its materials, features and contents the villa is clearly local but it is also eclectically modern and global.
Outside, the dramatic pool is lined with the green Verde Lapponia stone from Norway with the edges and decks clad with limestone. Wood and stone dominate the material palette inside and out, with vintage finds, impressive pieces of art and crafts reflect the owners’ respect for detail, traditional skills and unique pieces.
Most of the rooms have views of the pool and the century-old Ibizan Sabina juniper trees, once plentiful on the island and because of their incredibly hard core, often described as reflections of the hardy and noble character of the people of Ibiza.
Framework Studio’s senior architect and interior designer Alexandra Ramos has described the goals of this project as being comfort and simplicity. They have achieved both, and by peppering the interior with a mix of vintage finds, they have lifted the rustic local material and design language up to a contemporary and timeless one.
The white entrance hall has curved ceilings that echo traditional local building methods. The living room features the deliciously pillowy vintage sectional sofa by the Viennese group, Wiener Werkstätte (1903-1932), flanked by the vintage Conoid lounge Chair by George Nakashima, a Vincenzo de Cotiis coffee table and a unique dark-wood wall panel by the Italian artist duo Giovanni “Nerone” Ceccarelli and Gianni Patuzzi known as Gruppo NP2 (1962-1974).
The kitchen was custom-designed by Framework Studio using oak, gunmetal and Travertino Romano stone. The kitchen accents include a Allan Gould-designed mid-century modernist lounge chair circa 1950s and one of the Arno de Clercq wooden Senufo stools that appear in several rooms of the villa. The main bathroom’s material palette echoes the kitchen’s with its gunmetal fixtures, oak vanities and Travertino Romano stone.
The dining room’s dominating piece is the bulky wood table crafted by the late Brazilian architect Jose Zanine Caldas (1919-2001) that is surrounded by vintage Pierre Jeanneret (1896-1967) chairs.
Great things take time to develop. The secondary home in Montecito, California, planned and completed over a period of a decade by of Los Angeles-based architect William Hefner and his late wife, interior designer Kazuko Hoshino, is a perfect example of this.
The extended design and construction period allowed the ideas to mature, unexpected methods and materials to present themselves, and the decisions to gel for both. Eventually, the long incubation time resulted in a relaxed holiday retreat that feels both new and old, both modern and traditional.
It is not a house but a compound, a set of low wood and stone buildings rather than one sprawling house or a multi-story structure. In some cultures, compound-living is a cherished tradition that gives different generations or branches of a larger family both together-time and privacy.
In the case of the Romero Canyon compound the process began in 2008 when Hefner and Hoshino bought an overgrown one-acre parcel of land in the lush Romero Canyon area of Montecito. The site had a 900-square-foot 1930s shack and even older stables that had been converted into a guest house.
Busy with their growing architecture and design practice Studio William Hefner in Los Angeles during the recession, California-born Hefner and Japan-born Hoshino, who was pregnant with the couple’s son, Koji, decided not to rush with the renovation as this would be their secondary residence in addition to their Hancock Park principal home.
They called it a personal experiment in ideas for modern family living. Initially, they thought they’d just renovate the shack and add something to it, but they eventually felt they wanted a more meaningful expression of what their fantasy of a “cool hunting lodge” would be. The construction process started in 2013 and took three years.
Their Romero Canyon compound now extends to 6,000 square feet (557.5 sq. metres) of living space. A large central square is flanked by the L-shaped main building and separate buildings for various activities.
The principal house includes an open-plan living room, dining room, kitchen and a game room, all connected through breezeways. The pool house serves as a spacious guest house that also became a favourite “holiday house” for the owners who felt that when they stayed in the guest house, they were on a real holiday. The smaller stone building functions as a gym
The main house, the gym and the guest house overlook the pool and gardens and all have views of the surrounding mountains as well. Large decks are accessed by full-height glass doors to further blur the line between inside and outside.
The materials used throughout are local. For example, the main house is clad with chunks of the Santa Barbara sandstone found on site during the excavation for the foundations and the pool. All spaces are also under-furnished on purpose to allow the oak floors, stone detailing and stained cedar accents to shine. The rustic hunting-lodge atmosphere is emphasized by five wood-burning fireplaces.
We love the low profile and human scale of the entire compound. Both indoors and out, everything is built for living, for people to relax and enjoy
Masseria Belvedere is an expertly restored Italian 16th century masseria now functioning as a sophisticated guest house for up to 16 people. Located in the Puglia region, This drew our attention because of its elegant, low profile. Another redeeming quality that is even more significant than the low profile is the complete lack of distracting modern embellishments.
The architects have allowed the original natural stone walls to continue to speak the loudest. Everything else, including the gorgeous – and very modern – infinity pool stays discretely in a supporting role. Architects Nicolò Lewanski and Federica Russo, partners in Lecce, have taken an enlightened, unintrusive approach that has not only produced a cohesive, well-functioning new whole but has also created a lasting legacy for the handsome compound.
A masseria is a fortified farmhouse built in the 16th century on the estates in the Puglia region of Southern Italy. Usually, it consists of a pair of buildings running along two sides of a central high-walled courtyard.
The Masseria Belvedere property extends over a hectare and a half of land that faces the Adriatic coast and includes an ancient olive garden. The structure is L-shaped with the original two-level farm house forming one wing and the restored stables the other.
The architects decided right from the start that they would not increase the vertical mass of the buildings. Rather, they would focus on the horizontal. The result is not only an unintrusive overall profile, but also a set of gorgeous terraces, lawns and al fresco dining areas and, of course, the beautiful infinity pool.
Another aspect of the architects’ approach was to not attempt to define the function of each segment or area of the compound, either inside or outside. Instead, things are left open, often unfurnished and, in a sense, undefined, although everything is clearly walled and segmented.
We love this feeling of possibility and openness. This is not a place where one must accomplish or strive and where every space has a set function in which one must participate. This is what we call an authentic, relaxing atmosphere. Limitless opportunities when the environment presents no demands on its inhabitants.
The eight bedrooms of the complex are located in the 5,382 sq.ft main farm house. Most of the living areas and public spaces are in the former stables. Both structures are characterized by the original vaulted ceilings, exposed natural stone and a subdued colour palette.
Masseria Belvedere is situated in the d’Itria Valley in the province of Brindisi. The closest airport is the Brindisi Airport about 20 minutes’ drive away. The closest shops are in the ancient Roman port town of Carovigno, about seven minutes’ drive from the masseria. The beaches of Torre Santa Sabina, the resort town of Specchiolla and the Torre Guaceto Nature reserve are all within 10 to 15-minute drive away as well.
Well known for his love and knowledge of design and architecture, Brad Pitt has added a fascinating historical estate to his property portfolio.
Located in Carmel Highlands, the actor recently closed on what agents are calling one of the most expensive sales ever in the area, Pitt purchased a Monterey County estate known as the D.L. James House, after its first owner, which was originally built by architect Charles Sumner Greene around 1918. Sited on a rocky cliff, the off-market property was previously occupied for over two decades by late Chicago financier Joe Ritchie who died in February.
The D.L. James House built by architect Charles Greene Greene & Greene Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.
Greene, who was an influential figure in the 20th century Arts & Crafts movement, met businessman and writer D.L. James when he moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea in 1916, according to The Gamble House organization. Shortly after, James commissioned the architect to construct a home on a bluff that he’d bought. It took approximately four years, in which James defied elevation logic by insisting the home be built on a steep, challenging plot.
He also opted for locally sourced sandstone and granite instead of wood—because of this, the D.L. James House, later referred to as Seaward, appears as if it’s growing right out of the cliff. The elaborate stonework of the outer walls resembles a medieval castle, while arched windows and an earth-toned-tile roof give it a distinct Mediterranean flair.
Archive photos of the dining area and living room in The D.L. James House Maynard L. Parker, photographer, The Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.
The historic home is formatted as a single-level residence, but specific details about its layout are scarce. What we do know is that the interior features carved marble and details of Green’s signature woodwork, speaking to his Arts and Crafts style, and the living areas are open-plan. There’s also an outdoor courtyard.
The interior of The D.L. James House in Carmel, California Maynard L. Parker, photographer, The Huntington Library, San Marino, Calif.
After James died in 1944, his son, who was also a writer, acquired the property. He lived there with his wife until he eventually passed away in 1988. His widow sold the house in 1999 to Ritchie, who purchased the house for $4.5 million.
Great things take time to develop. The secondary home in Montecito, California, planned and completed over a period of a decade by of Los Angeles-based architect William Hefner and his late wife, interior designer Kazuko Hoshino, is a perfect example of this.
The extended design and construction period allowed the ideas to mature, unexpected methods and materials to present themselves, and the decisions to gel for both. Eventually, the long incubation time resulted in a relaxed holiday retreat that feels both new and old, both modern and traditional.
It is not a house but a compound, a set of low wood and stone buildings rather than one sprawling house or a multi-story structure. In some cultures, compound-living is a cherished tradition that gives different generations or branches of a larger family both together-time and privacy. In others, having separate functions of a household in separate buildings is a long-held tradition (put the link of the masseria post here, when you have it ).
In the case of the Romero Canyon compound the process began in 2008 when Hefner and Hoshino bought an overgrown one-acre parcel of land in the lush Romero Canyon area of Montecito. The site had a 900-square-foot (84 sq.metre) 1930s shack and even older stables that had been converted into a guest house.
Busy with their growing architecture and design practice Studio William Hefner in Los Angeles during the recession, California-born Hefner and Japan-born Hoshino, who was pregnant with the couple’s son, Koji, decided not to rush with the renovation as this would be their secondary residence in addition to their Hancock Park principal home.
They called it a personal experiment in ideas for modern family living. Initially, they thought they’d just renovate the shack and add something to it, but they eventually felt they wanted a more meaningful expression of what their fantasy of a “cool hunting lodge” would be. The construction process started in 2013 and took three years.
Their Romero Canyon compound now extends to 6,000 square feet (557.5 sq. metres) of living space. A large central square is flanked by the L-shaped main building and separate buildings for various activities.
The principal house includes an open-plan living room, dining room, kitchen and a game room, all connected through breezeways. The pool house serves as a spacious guest house that also became a favourite “holiday house” for the owners who felt that when they stayed in the guest house, they were on a real holiday. The smaller stone building functions as a gym
The main house, the gym and the guest house overlook the pool and gardens and all have views of the surrounding mountains as well. Large decks are accessed by full-height glass doors to further blur the line between inside and outside.
The materials used throughout are local. For example, the main house is clad with chunks of the Santa Barbara sandstone found on site during the excavation for the foundations and the pool. All spaces are also under-furnished on purpose to allow the oak floors, stone detailing and stained cedar accents to shine. The rustic hunting-lodge atmosphere is emphasized by five wood-burning fireplaces.
We love the low profile and human scale of the entire compound. Both indoors and out, everything is built for living, for real people to relax and enjoy.
The brand-new Villas are located on the mountainous, sun-baked Kefalonia, an island in the Ionian Sea, west of mainland Greece. With its colourful history stretching all the way back to antiquity and beyond, Kefalonia offers a dreamy and magical backdrop for this small, secluded resort.
Athens-born owner and designer Kleoniki Androni has always been in love with Kefalonia and now that she also lives there herself, she knew the main attraction at Pera Perou must be the view.
There was no need to compete with the panorama of the sapphire-hued sea unfolding from the villas’ enormous windows and sliding doorways. This is enough.
Consequently, her three remote and secluded stone villas were created from the rock on which they stand. Both literally and esthetically they are of the island. They look as if they had been here for a long time.
She has extended the minimalist, earth-toned sensibility to every detail in the well-equipped villas. Everything speaks the language of balance and harmony with materials that belong – rough wood, stone, baskets, tactile textiles.
We of course love this kind of simplicity and balance. It takes talent to be able to select each brand-new item and still produce an atmosphere of peaceful, timeless, sun-baked permanence.
Some of Androni’s most inspired solutions include the use of understated built-in features. Most of the beds are simple platforms; the bars and counters are built-in as a many of the shelves and storage features. Various white-washed stone planes function as seating, side tables or steps. A gorgeous monolithic white slab backs the outdoor shower. These features create a sense of age and permanence yet they also seem completely modern.
We also love the cool firepit by Dutch Happy Cocooning, the tactile textiles by the Greek Vagenas and the absolutely beautiful free-form dishes and ceramic art by Athens-based Chrisa L’iarmacopoulou.
Pera Perou consist of three villas: two two-bedroom, 120-square-metre (1,291 sq.ft) villas directly connected to the pool, and one smaller (60 sq.m, 645 sq.ft)) open-plan villa with a private infinity pool and private jacuzzi. All are equipped with the latest technology and fully equipped kitchens.
A transformation from devout urbanites to resolute cottage-dwellers was unlikely for Torontonians Renee and Ken Metrick, their sons Andrew and Jamie and their families. They are the third- and fourth-generation owners of the Elte home décor retail brand and its extensions Elte Mkt and bath retailer Ginger’s.
As a family they had proven they are capable of working together during the busy business week. But to want to spend also weekends and holidays with the family? Highly unusual but that is what they wanted. Wishing to establish a place to wind down and relax as a family eventually lead to cooperation with prolific architects AKB , a Toronto-based residential architecture firm founded in 2004 by Robert Kastelic and Kelly Buffey.
Fast-forward a few years from the initial cottage idea, and the family’s retreat by Lake Joseph in the Muskoka-area of Ontario’s cottage-country two hours’ drive from Toronto, has now become a favourite place for three generations of Metricks.
The elegant, wood-clad 5,400 square-foo, three-unit retreat has settled into its rocky lake-side site just like old Muskoka cottages should. Dividing the house into three separate but connected units has created a sense of casual lightness. It is not a monolithic, imposing building. It rather resembles a solution that often happens by default in casual secondary residences as the initial cottage grows through additions and attachments to accommodate new generations.
The sparse material and colour palette connects the units into a single whole, yet the separateness gives everyone a sense of privacy as well. The main (middle) unit includes the public areas including kitchen, dining and living spaces. The other two offer private spaces. One was designed for Renee and Ken with a bedroom, bathroom and an office. The other unit has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a lounge. The boathouse adds yet more space on two levels: the water level with two boat slips and lounge areas, and the upper level with a small living room, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
The units are anchored into the stone ridge and clad in semi-charred cedar. The corridors between the units have basalt stone floors with walls covered in torrefied ash, wood baked to achieve the deep brown colour.
The cottage has become a year-round retreat and some of the family members only go to the city when they must. The tranquil boathouse, floating on the water, has become a beloved favourite for the entire family.
Lake Joseph is one of the three lakes in the Muskoka cottage-country, where expensive properties are mostly found. The other two are Lake Muskoka and Lake Rosseau. Celebrities from Steven Spielberg, Cindy Crawford and Tom Hanks to Mike Weir and Goldie Hahn have built retreats in the area.
Consistently ranked as one of the top ski resorts in North America, Whistler is located less than two hours’ drive up Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver. The pedestrian hub at the base of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains is a cookie-cut chalet-style resort, but the Whistler area is also known for some spectacular upscale second residences.
Completed in a five-year start-to-finish period, The Rock was initially created as a recreational residence for a recently retired Hong Kong-based businessman and his family. It was the first North-American project for the London-based architecture firM GoRt Scott that won the invitational architectural competition arranged for the project by the owner who had spent several holidays in the area.
Passionate about architecture, the owner had written in a vision statement for the invited designers that “This is not a typical resort residence. It is an architectural expression of self.” The owner has since fallen in love with the house so completely that it will eventually become the family’s main residence. It has also caused a change of focus in his life.
The Rock is an elegant cliffhanger among the western hemlock forests by Alta Lake, about 10 km off Whistler Village. The site itself is breathtaking and Jay Gort and Fiona Scott, founders of the London agency, explain that they spent a week on the site just absorbing the place and the way light changed on the rock face.
The project consists of a six-bedroom main house, a two-bedroom guest house and an outdoor pool with a series of landscaped levels cut into the rock with the entire structure rising up the face of the rock as if it had grown out of it.
The concrete that makes up much of the structure in addition to dark-stained hemlock, is so perfectly poured that one can see the knots and texture of the cedar boards used to form it. It is almost as if the surfaces were constructed of petrified trees. The owner has been quoted as saying that he feels each piece of concrete is a work of art.
The base of the four-story house includes the large entrance hall with its walls cast into the granite. A long corridor leads to the guest wing and the cinema room, and up a few stairs to the kitchen and dining area. Another flight of stairs leads to the large main living area. Yet another two sets of stairs lead up to three of the six bedrooms and to an office. A lap pool with its own spectacular view of the mountains, runs between the guest house and main residence. Clearly, stairs cannot be a problem for anyone living in this house.
Throughout the process The Rock was informed by nature. Gort Scott designed not only the building but also the luxury interiors with several customized components. Every room has its own reason for facing the view it does. For example, the dining room basks in the western light and has views of the lake. The main bedrooms have views toward the mountaintops.
And what about the change in the owner’s life? He has been reported as saying that by being part of this project he has been introduced to sustainable building and to sustainability in a broader sense. Since the completion of The Rock the owner has sought new business and philanthropic opportunities related to sustainability. He has also said that the project has connected him to the world in a new way. That is an impressive achievement of any building project, let alone a recreational resort residence.
Today, the 10,500 square-foot (980 sq. metre) home appears balanced and settled. It is not an intrusion into the landscape but an extension of it.
39 pier San Francisco, CA 94133(415) 421-2442Visit Website
Situated in a prime-time spot on Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf, Fog Harbor attracts throngs of tourists, but it’s still a really fun seafood feast. Tie on a bib for sourdough bread bowls brimming with clam chowder and piled with lump Dungeness crab meat. The restaurant boasts a big outdoor space with views of the bay and bridge, not to mention the background music of seagulls and sea lions.
1965 Al Scoma Way San Francisco, CA 94133(415) 771-4383Visit Website
Scoma’s is a seafood institution, literally sitting on the dock of the bay since 1965. Longtime regulars love the warm leather and wood interiors, where they slide into a favorite booth, and chat with servers who have been there for decades. Scoma’s is known for old-school cioppino, strong Manhattans, mixed grill platters, and more.
552 Green St San Francisco, CA 94133(415) 398-3181Visit Website
The Italian-American classic in North Beach talks big fish game with “the best damn cioppino in San Francisco,” as well as a big hearty menu filled with pasta, risotto, and sand dabs. Its tiled dining room crammed full of memorabilia is the ideal place to strap on a bib and dig into San Francisco’s favorite stew.
pier 1 1/2 San Francisco, CA 94105(415) 397-8880Visit Website
Just north of the Ferry Building, this modern Peruvian restaurant boasts tall ceilings and big views of the bay. They specialize in several different types of cebiche, lightly cooked in “leche de tigre,” with choices between the catch of the day, ahi tuna, or yellowtail. Make it a full meal with grilled octopus and lomo saltado.
One, Ferry Building, #11 San Francisco, CA 94111(415) 391-7117Visit Website
The big oyster farm that supplies many star restaurants around town is worth the drive up to the picnic tables in Marshall, but it also has a seafood restaurant in the Ferry Building. The classic order is a dozen of their famed sweetwater oysters, but they also have a creamy clam chowder and thick grilled cheese.
631 Kearny St San Francisco, CA 94108(415) 982-7877Visit Website
R & G Lounge has been a Chinatown classic since 1985. It’s not exclusively a seafood restaurant, but it’s known for the live crab with salt and pepper, a deep-fried golden icon of Chinese-American food in San Francisco. And there are plenty of other fish on the menu, including prawns with honey walnuts, steamed sea bass, and whole lobster.
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7. Tadich Grill
240 California St San Francisco, CA 94111(415) 391-1849Visit Website
Down where the trolley cars bottom out on California Street, Tadich Grill still stands as the oldest continuously run restaurant in San Francisco, founded in 1849 by Croatian immigrants, so they say. It can be a scene, with white linens on tables, white-jacketed waiters, and it’s bustling at lunch. The seafood is still grilled over mesquite charcoal, and they’re known for cioppino, chowder, and sand dabs.
132 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94105(415) 872-9442Visit Website
Angler opened on the Embarcadero in 2018, as a spinoff from Michelin-starred Saison, and it’s focused on seafood, with some luxurious options and add-ons. Fish picks up big flavor in the woodfire oven and smokers, and there are Parker House rolls with cultured seaweed butter, grilled whole lobster and abalone, not to mention urchin, uni, more.
399 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94105(415) 284-9922Visit Website
Sister spots Waterbar and Epic Steak are big restaurants at the foot of the Bay Bridge, and while Epic focuses on steak, Waterbar is all things fish. Waterbar has lots of space indoors and outdoors on a couple of different levels, and the brunch power move is a lobster roll and glass of sparkling wine.
1740 O’Farrell St San Francisco, CA 94115(415) 796-2710Visit Website
The newest restaurant from the State Bird team was actually able to open during the pandemic. It’s an ode to Chef Stuart Brioza’s obsession with anchovies, and when in season, the local little fish are laboriously preserved in house. Year round, there’s also tinned fish from Spain and Italy; oysters, mussels, and clams; and a duo of whipped butters with roe and nori.
652 Polk St San Francisco, CA 94102(415) 345-8100Visit Website
Chef Brenda Buenviaje is a Louisiana native, and she brought New Orleans style to her popular restaurant in San Francisco, which now has several different spinoffs and locations. Brenda’s is definitely not strictly seafood — there’s good fried chicken — but there’s lots of fish on the menu, for those craving broiled oysters, barbecue shrimp, crawfish beignets, shrimp and grits, and fried catfish po’boys.
2332 Clement St San Francisco, CA 94121(415) 386-8266Visit Website
The legendary Vietnamese restaurant of the Richmond is known for big family-style Dungeness crab feasts, featuring roasted crab and garlic noodles. It’s a fun time for families and larger groups, but there are also a la carte options.
2073 Market St San Francisco, CA 94114(415) 437-2722Visit Website
The MacNiven brothers grew up in the Bay, but their two seafood restaurants in San Francisco are New England inspired. Both offer a fresh and casual menu filled with Dungeness crab rolls, lobster rolls, fish and chips, and fish tacos, and the parklet on Fillmore resembles a boat.
579 Castro St San Francisco, CA 94114(415) 431-3990Visit Website
Anchor Oyster is a neighborhood classic, holding it down in the Castro since 1977. The cioppino is jammed with mussels and crab claws, and don’t be shy about accepting the bib, it’s a full garlic steam facial. They also sling oysters on the half shell, creamy clam chowder, and chewy sourdough.
291 30th St San Francisco, CA 94131(415) 550-8114Visit Website
La Ciccia is a cozy neighborhood restaurant at the quiet end of Noe Valley, at top of Church and 30th. It’s a Sardinian menu filled with lots of seafood, pasta, and minerally wine. Regulars keep going back for the fresh spaghetti with cured fish roe grated over the top, fresh fettuccine tinted with squid ink, and tender baby octopus.
The architecture of the 9,150 sq. ft residence takes full advantage of the views and also of the characteristics of the land on which the house is situated. Natural rock and stone, geometric angles and no visually annoying colour or material accents that break the spell.
To keep the busy street blocked away, the house’s street-front wall is an imposing, traditional Cape stone wall. 
After living in the residence for about a year, Greg Truen is happy and still describes the project with words that echo the brief. “The spaces are simple use-zones articulated by level changes in the floor and ceilings. There are gardens on every level which extend into the view creating the impression that the building sits in the mountain landscape. The inverted pyramid roof allows for views of the peaks of Lion’s Head and Table Mountain and allows one to track the movement of the sun and moon across the sky.”
Photographers: Letch & Hoyle
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The Gaetano Group 