Palo Alto Tudor

Having designed a Craftsman spec home for a developer client in 2012, we were asked by the same client to revisit the design on a new site in Palo Alto a year later.

We gently steered our client away from the easy path of recycling the same Craftsman design, and he responded with a request for a new house in a Tudor style.

Navigating the Palo Alto Planning code is never an easy task, but doubly so with an architectural style like Tudor, which emphasizes the vertical through the use of steep roof lines. Our design carefully avoids violating Palo Alto’s restrictive daylight plane and triggering floor area penalties, while incorporating the dormers and steep gables that characterize the Tudor style.

A mix of brick, stone, and and stucco with half-timbers further emphasizes the Tudor style, while an open, light filled floor plan with high ceilings throughout appeals to buyers with either traditional or modern sensibilities.

The final exterior design does not fully reflect the original architectural intent, as many changes were made during construction without our firm’s knowledge or involvement. It is always the prerogative of the building Owner to heed or ignore our professional advice. We leave it to the court of public opinion as to whether these deviations were a benefit or detriment to the project.

• Project Year: 2014
• Project Cost: $750,001 – $1,000,000
• Location: Palo Alto, CA

Photography by Mark Pinkerton, VI360 Photography