two houses clad in black stained cedar

Cohabitation across a shared courtyard

Raymond Twins

Patio of the Raymond front house facing the courtyard

A pair of cohabiting couples approached us to design two houses built on a single lot in Oakland, California. Understanding their continued desire for community, we designed the houses to face each other across a shared courtyard.

Front porch of the Raymond front house

The resulting volumes are clad in stained cedar to give the houses a unified look, with openings revealed in clear cedar cladding.

black stained cedar cladding black stained cedar cladding black stained cedar cladding
Interior stair of the Raymond front house
Kitchen of the Raymond Front house
Bathroom / tub with skylight of the Raymond front house

The house in the rear has an open plan with retractable doors, permitting some acoustic separation.

Living spaces of the Raymond Back House
Kitchen of the Raymond Back House
Stair of the Raymond Back House

Location: Oakland, CA
Year Built: 2018
Project Team
Architects: Nicolas Sowers and Matt Baran with Baran Studio Architects
Design Team: Mahya Salehi, Annessa Mattson
Engineer: Townsend Brown
Builder: DC Construction

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