Nestled in the foothills of California’s Santa Cruz Mountains, the House of Horns by architecture firm WOJR is a masterful study in contrast and poetic integration with the landscape. Conceived as an “assemblage of instruments” tuned to capture the cycles of light and seasons, the 8,500-square-foot residence was built atop the ruins of an abandoned Spanish-style foundation in Los Altos Hills. WOJR’s design began with a radical gesture of restoration, re-burying the lower level into the earth to return the hillside to its original topography. This act created two distinct worlds within the home: an airy, light-filled gathering space above, and a series of intimate, cave-like chambers below. Named for the sculptural protrusions that define its roofline, the home frames the spectacular views of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay, blending the monumentality of stone with the lightness of curving timber ceilings.
A dialogue of worlds: above and below
The House of Horns is conceptually split into two contrasting environments, linked by the principle of sensory experience. The architecture’s first and most significant move was to restore the hillside by burying the lower level of the house. This subterranean layer, largely wrapped in concrete, is designed as a series of cozy, secluded chambers. This area houses two bedrooms, an office, a media room, and a dramatic concrete spa with a small, sunken pool. The chambers selectively connect to the outside through circular sunken courtyards, offering unexpected glimpses of the landscape and mediating the transition between interior enclosure and the wild meadow outside.
In stark contrast, the upper level is designed as a singular, open gathering space for living, dining, and cooking, appearing from the outside as an effectively single-story volume. This level is defined by its transparency and openness, using vast expanses of glazing to connect seamlessly with the surrounding environment. The contrast between the earth-anchored lower level and the sky-reaching upper level establishes a powerful architectural rhythm—a dialogue between the primal experience of enclosure and the modernist pursuit of openness.
The “Horns” as light instruments
The residence takes its name, the House of Horns, from the unique roof geometry. These are not decorative elements but rather a series of inverted elliptical vaults that curve dramatically upwards, forming double-height spaces either fronted or topped with carefully positioned skylights and clerestory windows. WOJR conceived of these “horns” as instruments precisely tuned to capture the changing light and seasonal cycles of the foggy Bay Area landscape.
These light-scooping volumes are expressed internally as stunning curved, wood-clad ceilings that hover over key functional areas, such as the dining table, kitchen, and seating area. The ceilings are lowest at the centre of the open plan and rise at the perimeters, subtly dividing the large space into functional zones without the need for walls. The architectural gesture of the horns directs light and views, literally framing the external world and translating the transient phenomena of nature—fog, sun, clouds—into a carefully orchestrated lived experience inside the home.
Monolithic sculpture in marble and stone
Materiality is a crucial element of the home’s power, primarily through the dramatic use of stone. At the centre of the main gathering space stands a monolithic fireplace, carved from large blocks of dramatic blue-gray Danby marble sourced from Vermont. This heavy, sculptural centerpiece anchors the fluid upper floor plan, acting as a functional dividing line between the lounge and the dining area. Described by the architects as one of the “projects within the project,” this stone object introduces a geological permanence that counters the modernity of the open plan.
This use of monolithic stone is mirrored on the lower level in the cave-like bathing chamber. Here, a solid, ovoid column carved from stone appears to prop up the ceiling. Furthermore, the Danby marble is used to carve an enormous, ovoid bathtub in the primary suite. These sculptural stone insertions blur the boundaries between architecture and fine art, evoking ancient precedents like Roman baths while maintaining a distinctly contemporary aesthetic and providing moments of unexpected sensory drama.
A synthetic whole: architecture and landscape
The entire project is conceived as a “synthetic whole” where the architecture and the landscape function as an integrated system. WOJR’s work involved transforming an abandoned foundation—a literal architectural ruin—and integrating a new structure with a careful restoration of the ecology. The exterior cladding of the upper level features dark metal over the horns and blackened wood around the base, giving the home a strong, dark silhouette that contrasts with the bright interior.
The landscaping, designed in concert with the structure, involves restoring the hillside to a wild state using a meadow of low-water California native grasses, perennials, scrub, and live oaks. This is not merely decorative; it performs ecological work while extending the aesthetic experience outward. The careful calibration of texture and tone across the changing seasons—from the dark, angular metal roof to the sweeping wild grasses—ensures the House of Horns remains a precisely tuned instrument to experience the world around, rooted in the earth while reaching for the sky.
