Cupertino Home Puts a Contemporary Spin on Traditional Japanese Design

To meet the criteria, the project team opted for a contemporary design with hints of traditional Japanese elements sprinkled throughout. In this way, they were able to achieve their design goals while also comply with city regulations.

From the street, passersby are met with a white stucco-clad home that matches its neighbors.

But a stacked upper level reveals black shou sugi ban siding, a charred cedar cladding imported from Nakamoto Forestry in Japan.

“To synthesize with the rest of the architecture in the area, we deployed some of that stucco in those Spanish Colonial-style homes on the first floor,” says Herbst. “The other thing is zoning codes that say the second story has to be set back from the first, so it creates this wedding-cake-like form that we arrived at."

The front of the home also features a slatted wood gate and concrete landscape walls that keep the home contemporary and minimalistic while also concealing a "genkan," a transitional entryway for removing shoes before entering the main living areas of the home.

The interior features floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that provide easy access to intimate courtyard gardens and flood the interior with sunlight.

The living-dining-kitchen spaces run parallel to the rear yard, with a covered “engawa,” which serves as a transitional sunroom, connecting the indoor and outdoor spaces.

Working with a small space, the team designed the main living and kitchen areas for maximum functionality, with plenty of storage hidden throughout. For instance, custom white oak built-ins provide extra storage, while a bench built into the back of the kitchen island provides extra seating for the dining table.

While the public areas are located on the main level, bedrooms occupy the compact upper level of the home, including the primary suite, which features a wet room with an Ofuro wood Japanese soaking tub. 

Adjacent to the genkan entry, a central skylit stairwell acts as a unique focal point for the home, but that’s not all it is. With the goal of maximizing space throughout the home, the stairway cleverly hides away the home’s mechanical systems.

The home exceeds net-zero energy targets through solar arrays conveniently located on the roof above the stairwell, while a mini-split heat pump, among other features, is tucked away inside the stairwell.

“You have this light-filled stairway, which has a skylight above it, and that brings light all the way down to this back hall,” says Herbst. “This stairway is really the nexus for mechanical. Above the stair is where we jam-packed the heat pumps and the ERV and all the air handlers. It’s this really compact nugget of utility."

Herbst says he has seen demand surge for similar high-performance features across his practice.

“People are interested in resiliency and having a home that is durable and comfortable. Net-zero, I think, is something that we're interested in. The overall concept is just creating something that's functional, and I think we certainly are encouraging most people to fully electrify their homes,” he says.