Architecture firm WOJR has completed a remarkable residential project called the House of Horns, perched in California's Los Altos Hills with sweeping views of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay. The innovative 8,500-square-foot home, which took six years from conception in 2018 to completion in 2024, was designed as what the architects describe as "an assemblage of instruments" specifically tuned to capture the changing light and seasons of the Bay Area landscape.
The distinctive residence gets its name from a series of dramatic double-height volumes that curve upward like horns, creating spaces that are either fronted or topped with expansive glass panels. These sculptural elements serve a dual purpose: framing specific views of the surrounding landscape while flooding key interior areas with natural light. Located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz mountains, the house was designed to work around an existing foundation that had been intended for a partially constructed Spanish-style property.
"A counterpoint to what existed, the project finds a new coherence that synthesizes the particularities of the existing condition with a new set of ordering principles, rhythms, and structures," explained WOJR. The firm, founded by William O'Brien Jr, approached the project as an opportunity to create what they call "an assemblage of instruments tuned to capture the cycles of the day, and of the seasons – the changing light, the growth, decay, and growth of the foggy Bay landscape."
Taking full advantage of the sloped terrain, the structure is split into two distinct levels with markedly different characteristics. The upper story is bright and airy, featuring the signature "horns" and large expanses of glazing that face outward to capture the panoramic landscape views. This level is clad in blackened wood around the base, while dark metal covers the taller areas and the sculptural roof. The residence's concrete lower level is partially buried into the hillside, creating a more intimate, cave-like atmosphere.
The heart of the home is an open-plan living area where the ceiling is lowest at the center and rises dramatically to highlight key functional zones. A striking fireplace carved from Danby marble partially divides the lounge from the dining room, matching an adjacent wall panel that marks the centerline of the home. Strategic "horns" are positioned over the seating area, dining table, and kitchen to emphasize these primary functional spaces, all of which feature wood-lined ceilings and terrazzo flooring.
The upper level houses the primary suite and two smaller bedrooms, extending the same sophisticated material palette throughout. The primary bathroom features an ovoid bathtub rendered in the same blue-gray Danby marble used for the fireplace, creating visual continuity throughout the home. The kitchen benefits from abundant natural light streaming through a huge picture window made possible by the curved roofline design.
Meanwhile, the concrete lower floor presents a completely different spatial experience, laid out as a series of cozy compartments or chambers wrapped in wood that open out to partially enclosed gravel courtyards. This level accommodates two additional bedrooms and an office, as well as a concrete spa featuring a sunken pool. In a dramatic design gesture, another marble ovoid appears to prop up the ceiling in the spa area, creating a sculptural focal point that echoes the bathroom design above.
The landscaping has been carefully designed to complement the architectural vision, taking on a meadow-like appearance using layers of California native grasses, perennials, scrub, and live oaks. "Its careful calibration of texture and tone extends the aesthetic experience out across the changing seasons," the studio noted. "It acts with the house as a synthetic whole, a precisely tuned instrument to experience the world around."
WOJR has previously gained attention for their highly atmospheric residential designs, including unrealized projects such as the Mask House, conceived as a space of refuge and contemplation, and the House of the Woodland, which features a large pyramidal metal roof designed for a forest clearing in Massachusetts. The House of Horns represents the firm's first major completed residential project, demonstrating their ability to translate conceptual visions into built reality while maintaining their signature focus on creating spaces that respond dynamically to their natural surroundings.
