Pam & Paul's house by Craig Steely Architects

Craig Steely is the principal of Craig Steely Architecture based both in San Francisco and Hawaii. His work explores the boundaries of integration as well as emancipation from nature. They embrace the realities of the environment and our connection/separation to it over the subjugation of it, all the while focusing on developing a singular architecture rooted in its context.

We sat down with Craig to discover more about his most recent project: ‘Pam & Paul’s House,’ a stunning new residence nestled in the Santa Cruz mountains. Here, he discusses his first experience in San Francisco, wild turkeys, and the delicate balance of seamlessly uniting architecture and nature.

Can you tell us about your most recent project ‘Pam & Paul’s House’?
Sure. It’s a house that floats in the canopy of a dense Oak grove on the edge of the Santa Cruz mountains, just outside of Cupertino. It’s essentially a glass box hanging in the leaves of the trees on two trunk like columns. We built it this way to disturb as few Oaks as possible. The dense Oak canopy allowed us to build a completely glass walled house, protected from the direct rays of the sun, but filled with dappled sunlight. It feels like a tree house.