4.22.22 | DIGS.NET 21
of his work, it's not surprising that Steely is a draw in Silicon Valley,
where he designed a seemingly roofless house before complet-
ing the 2,600-square-foot Pam and Paul's House. Tucked in the
foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the latter house exploits
its extravagant connection to the natural setting and is another
unequivocal, almost transgressively minimal modern form from
Steely. But this house, with all its glass, appears to hover over a
grove of matures oaks—a heaven above the earth.
It is also a haven and, all observable evidence to the contrary, a
grounding for its owners—technology workers eager to embrace
nature. "They wanted a life that encompassed both," Steely says
of the pretext for the project. Only, the site was sold as an unbuild-
able lot. And it was unbuildable, or would have been, "…for a
conventional house," corrects the nonconforming Steely. This is
not that. "This is a house that would not fit anywhere else."
Primarily composed of steel and glass, with an observation deck
and a garage and foyer of zinc panels and mirrored glass meant
to reflect both the sky and surround, the concept for the house
came to Steely clearly and quickly—float a glass box in the leaves
of the trees on two trunk-like columns, disrupting as few oaks as
possible. "The dense tree canopy offered the opportunity to build
And it was unbuildable, or would have been, "…for a conventional house," corrects the
nonconforming Steely. This is not that. "This is a house that would not fit anywhere else."
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