Pavillion in the Oaks

Set lightly among redwoods and oaks on a steeply sloping lot, Pavilion in the Oaks is an extension of a 1970s hillside home tucked in a deep cul-de-sac. The pavilion is perched on an expanded deck, which spills from the main home's living room. It opens on three sides and is complemented by adjacent sauna, gym, and restroom facilities. A system of slender wood and steel columns supports cantilevered beams, giving the structure a floating quality while minimizing its physical and environmental footprint. A fully glazed passage provides a direct enclosed connection into the existing, remodeled home.

The pavilion and connecting passage complete a three-sided courtyard that now serves as the home’s primary summer gathering space. Deck framing was carefully coordinated around existing redwood and oak trees, accommodating future growth while preserving their presence and softening the transition between the built environment and the landscape.

This modern longitudinal pavilion has an open and adaptable plan and is organized around a cedar-clad core housing the sauna and bathroom. Exposed cedar roof framing supports multiple skylights, bringing filtered daylight into the spaces and echoing the shifting light of the surrounding grove. The result is an architecture that balances exposure and shelter, where structure, material, and landscape work together as one.