Home for Life in Retirement in California

Home for Life in Retirement in California

The project studio Feldman Architecture presented the Butterfly House residence, located not far from the coastal town of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California, USA. The 270 square meter house was designed for clients planning to live in it after retirement. It had to harmonize with the natural beauty of the preserve and not detract from it. Clients searched for two years for an impressive, relatively flat plot of land suitable for building a single-level house. The inspiration came from butterflies flying over the meadow, which the clients mentioned to the architects during their first meeting, also expressing a desire to integrate interior and exterior spaces with a dedicated guest block.

Beyond its poetic gesture, the butterfly roof is functional — it offers views of the surrounding hills, expands main living spaces outdoors, and collects rainwater used for irrigating the property. The landscape design facilitates water flow across the entire site by utilizing the natural topography.

The neutral palette of concrete floors and walls, large glass openings, plywood ceilings, and steel structures blend into the interior spaces beyond the home's boundaries. The house consumes little energy due to abundant daylight and passive thermal strategies. Most of the energy consumed is provided by a large solar panel array placed out of sight.