A Nomadic Spirit – Hosono House by Ryan Leidner Architecture

Hosono House is marked by its bespoke entry experience, which navigates the undulating terrain of the site with a sense of playfulness and adventure. Ryan Leidner Architecture focuses on restoring and elevating the lived experience throughout, creating a disconnected and innately private home.

Preserving the rich historic character of the original house, the architects retained the underpinning principles of Hosono House, which were paramount to the consideration of the approach. With the original timber structure exposed and celebrated as a key feature, the modern renovations are flexible in contrast. A statement of enduring and responsive design, the journey throughout the home is articulated through moments of compression and release. Through an unexpected floor plan, both intimate and open spaces are balanced to create a distinct inner experience. Ryan Leidner Architecture establishes a variety of sightlines through degrees of concealment to delineate private and open spaces.

The established and dense landscape that encircles the structure heavily enhances the feeling of sanctuary within, softens the harder edges of the built form and refreshes the overall resolve.

Despite the home’s location on a busy street in San Francisco, there is transportive quality once inside. The established and dense landscape that encircles the structure heavily enhances the feeling of sanctuary within, softens the harder edges of the built form and refreshes the overall resolve. The entrance is marked by an innovative sequence where a graceful bridge spans the front garden and curated plantings within the lower courtyard. Both functional and building anticipation, the gesture adds an element of drama from the outset.

Reflecting an understanding of global trends and a fascination with dynamic design approaches, the owner wanted to integrate an eclectic collection of furniture, art and lighting. By mixing vintage Italian furnishings, Californian modernism and Japanese culture, a unique assemblage of objects celebrates handmade craft. Allowing the process of curation to become a key component of the home adds another layer of character. Complementing the traditional residential experience with a travelled and tailored approach adds depth to the existing textural finishes and subtleties.

By mixing vintage Italian furnishings, Californian modernism and Japanese culture, a unique assemblage of objects celebrates handmade craft.

Allowing for varied social capabilities, Hosono House focuses on detail and heightened tactility. Ryan Leidner Architecture creates a dynamic interplay between light, space and materiality to enliven the home and accommodate the changing seasons.