"Man now sprawls horizontally upon the land- uncheckable by planners who enjoy only the right to "suggest." Visionless realtors, backed by government funds, operate indiscriminately in acquiring low-cost options on farmland upon which they install speculator houses. This continually reduces the productive land per capita and unbalances the ecological regeneration of life on earth. Despite the fact that the average American family now moves out of town every four years man is forced by the government -backed realtors to buy his home on 30-year mortgages which never get amortized. Man was designed with legs - not roots."

-R. Buckminster Fuller,
Utopia or Oblivion: The Prospects for Humanity.
Bantam Books, Inc., New York, 1969, pp 348."
Endres Ware Architects | Engineers
www.endresware.com
 
Lilien Residence
Mill Valley, California
The Lilien Residence consists of a first floor renovation and second floor addition of a master bedroom, bath and study. Because of unusual existing conditions, the second floor addition could not be supported on the first floor. A group of steel frames that penetrate the existing house float the second floor above the existing roof of the first floor. In order to bring light into the existing house, the roof was removed in the living area and a clerestory was wrapped around the space, furthering the notion of a floating second level.
Photos 1,3,4: Jessica Hobbs
Photos 2,5: Endres Ware
 
Martin Studios
Oakland, California
Through its mixed commercial and residential spaces and site-sensitive architecture, the Martin Studios bring new energy to an Oakland neighborhood. A ground floor cafe caters to local residents and workers, while three distinct units provide housing above. A two-bedroom apartment shares the second floor with a two-story, three-bedroom residence that rises from the first floor just behind the cafe. On the third floor, a one-bedroom penthouse, designed for the owner, sits within the second-story footprint surrounded by enclosed roof decks. The roofline slopes upward like a lid poised to open.
Photos 1,2,3,5: Ian Martin
Photo 4: Endres Ware
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