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Projects   Residential Quarterly – October 2005
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The Lee Tree House

La Jolla, Calif.
Public

Public shrouds the Lee Tree House in screens, giving character to a nondescript bungalow


Photo © David Hewitt Anne
   

By Ann Jarmusch

In a crowded, older subdivision of La Jolla, California, Gravilla Street stands out for anyone making a pilgrimage to visit El Pueblo Ribera, the walled compound of beach cottages Rudolph Schindler designed in 1923. Now, several blocks inland on the street, the San Diego firm Public has renovated an ordinary house with shades of Schindler. Using simple, standard materials and stark geometry, the architects devised an introverted design to shield the residents’ indoor-outdoor life from public view, and like Schindler, built the project themselves.

Torrey and Kimberly Lee bought the one-story, 1,200-square-foot home from Torrey’s aunt in 2003. A huge conifer tree, planted years ago near the house’s southwest corner by a relative, added to the property’s sentimental value. But with two young daughters and an urgent need for more living space, the Lees were willing to sacrifice the thriving podocarpus in exchange for another bedroom and bathroom in what was originally a two-bedroom, one-bath house.

After the Lees hired Public for the renovation, architects James Brown and James Gates championed the evergreen. Not only beautiful in its branch structure, the tree also supports dense foliage that shades the house from the strong afternoon sun. A consultant confirmed that new foundations could be laid without killing the tree’s extensive roots. With that, Public was determined “to preserve and celebrate the tree” as a symbol of one family’s stake in a home over several generations, said Brown.

Unwilling to accept the tree as a mere decorative anchor or sunshade to work around, the architects reconsidered the tree, the house, and the entire lot, which included an expansive, underused front lawn. They decided to bring the conifer into the realm of the house, showcasing it in a glazed, 22-foot-tall corner space. They also extended the usable living area under the tree’s generous canopy by adding a front deck that is level with the house’s first floor. With lawn to spare, a tall, slatted-wood screen, the project’s third defining element, rises to enclose the deck and tree trunk, creating a semiprivate outdoor room of 420 square feet.

Want the full story? Read the entire article in our October 2005 issue.
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the People

Owner
Kim and Torrey

Architect
Public
4441 Park Blvd, San Diego, CA, 92116
619-682-4083
619-682-4084 fax
www.publicdigital.com

Partners in Charge:
James Brown and James Gates

Project Manager:
Francisco Garcia

Project Team:
Steve Rosenstein, Alex and Daniella

Engineer(s)
Structural:
Envision Engineering
Alejandro Barajas
1125 W. Morena Blvd, Suite B
San Diego, CA, 92110
619-275-6726
619-275-6782 fax

Consultant(s)
Energy:
Salehi & Salehi
9636 Tierra Grande St, Suite 206
San Diego, Ca, 92126
858-549-3680
858-549-3690 fax
salehisalehi.com

General contractor
Public www.publicdigital.com
Build Team:
Chris Robitaille, Phil Oliversen, Matt Maze, Ojay Pagano, Eric Nation, Jonathan Stevens, Steve Rosenstein, Michael Paluso, Alfred Wilson

Photographer(s)
David Hewitt
Anne Garrison
Architectural Photography
619-222-4036

CAD system, project management, or other software used
Hand Drawn using Staedtler/Mars H lead in lead-holder, on 1000H Vellum with Dietzgen Scum-X 140L, Borco pad over solid core 36” door, and parallel bar

the Products

Structural system
Type V wood frame construction

Framing:
Silverline Construction
1666 Garnet Ave, PMB #123
San Diego, CA, 92109
858-733-0131

Exterior cladding
Sand finish stucco, Cedar plank over Redwood plywood

Screen Element:
Cedar planks over hot-dipped galvanized columns

Metal:
Brett Geller
Industrial Arts
865-8380

Wood:
Eric Nation

Roofing
Built-up roofing:
US Intec by Gula Roofing

Windows
Wood:
Woodmaster
10965 Hartley Rd, Suite Q
Santee, Ca, 92071
619-562-3973
619-562-9925 fax

Aluminum:
Window Master

Doors
Wood doors:
Woodmaster
10965 Hartley Rd, Suite Q
Santee, Ca, 92071
619-562-3973
619-562-9925 fax

Sliding aluminum doors:
Fleetwood Doors www.fleetwoodusa.com,
Installed by Unik Glass
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