Morse and Cleaver Architects – Our Portfolio
Residences
Diamond Residence
Timber Frame Home
Designed near the town of Bolinas for a noted pianist and patron of the arts, Briarcombe was conceived as a primary residence for the owner and as a small arts community with an ongoing artist-in-residence program. The project was built over several years and included the main residence and four dramatic studios that served painters, sculptors, writers, and musicians and accommodated showings, readings and concerts.
All buildings were timber framed in old growth Redwood recycled from the Hammond Mill near Arcata on Northern California, dismantled years earlier but amazingly still available. Their roofs we laminated using 2X lumber recycled from a northern California Army Base. Bolinas is a fishing village with an artistic community which worked well with the residence program at Briarcombe. I was able to work with local boat builders, artisans and furniture makers to detail and the craft some very unique buildings as well as many of the interior furnishings to create an award-wining project.
Cob Pool House
Straw Bale House and Second Unit
This was one of the first Sonoma County straw bales and has stood up extremely well to the elements, remaining beautiful, comfortable and dry.
Lake County House
The house on a small lot for a scientist and an artist needed to look beautiful and modern and be efficient with space and energy use.
Karraker Residence
Robert was fascinated with pole buildings and wanted one to live in. So I designed a two-story home for him and Sandy supported on a grid of treated douglas fir poles connected by douglas fir beams on a sloping, south-facing site in Forestville, California. The only concrete used secured the 13″ diameter poles in their six-foot deep holes into the slope. Two years later Sandy needed a bigger art space than the house allowed so we planned and built her a straw bale studio. Both buildings are clad in redwood shingles sourced from old first-growth stumps found somewhat north of Forestville.
Communities
Rastra House
A simple passive solar house made with concrete insulated blocks from recycled polystyrene packing beans. Concrete floors, plaster walls, stone fireplace hearth, and counters provide mass to even out temperature range. Translucent polycarbonate panels provide a south facing warming porch for the house, plants and people.with decorative brackets.
Blue Mountain Center for Meditation
Designed as the initial phase and communal hub of housing for a spiritual community of fifty in a secluded valley in Northern Marin County. This project was built primarily with recycled materials: partially framed with recycled Fir timbers, its Maple floors salvaged from an old high school gym and its tile “seconds” from a local manufacturer. Outer walls were shingled with Redwood sawn from 100-year-old stumps of virgin trees felled in the 1800’s in Mendocino County. Its tile roof was recycled from a building re-roofed on the Stanford University campus.
Wineries
Commercial
Laguna Foundation
I was honored to design the meeting room structure for the foundation to meet LEED sustainability requirements and the foundation’s varied uses for the space. We worked with the landscape designers to store on site water in a flood zone area with a seasonal pond and dry stream beds that provide habitat , beauty, and flood control.
Sacramento Street Store
The existing structure had been closed off to the street with a wall of lava stone. We completely redid the interior and exterior to meet the clients mercantile vision and historic guidelines. But we also wanted a contemporary feel so we left the redwood and the formed zinc decorations unpainted for an upscale modern look.
Point Reyes Seashore Lodge
Originally designed using the three simple heritage two-story Victorian cottages occupying the site, which ultimately because unfeasible to use due to their non-code-compliant “single wall” construction. In the final form of the destination 21-room visitors lodge in Olema, California, we “ghosted” in the original cottage forms (with some license) to create a rambling three-story structure that is comfortable in its historic village setting.
Remodels
Chavez Kitchen Remodel
Eucalyptus floor and all cabinetry designed by Jeff Morse.