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Walden Studios

Glass Marvel in Earthquake Country

A skillful blend of rural vernacular with modern sensibilities transforms a concrete barn into a unique mixed-use compound set in Sonoma County vineyards.

Hold Steady

The decrepit Geyserville structure was practically falling down when JENSEN got the assignment to give it new life. The designers respected the existing heavy concrete walls, adding a layer of rigid insulation inside, along with a layer of “shotcrete” for structural stability. In essence, the design inserts a brand-new building inside the existing one.

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Lighten Up

The contrast of old and new, solid and transparent, was key to JENSEN’s reimagining of the old concrete prune packing plant. Frameless glass walls now fill the interior with natural light and views of the surrounding vineyards, and large cuts in the existing walls capture even more vistas. The glass is hanging, clipped on the top and placed in “shoes” on the bottom.

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Making Peace with Mother Nature

A new concrete elevator core supports the whole structure, letting the building move like a tree in an earthquake. JENSEN installed a new plinth to raise the floors above the 100-year-flood level. An added benefit of the new plinth: better views of the picturesque landscape.

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Work + Art + Life

The new building is a 21st-century live-work space that’s harmoniously in tune with Sonoma’s agricultural traditions. The downstairs is open commercial space for lease, ideal for hosting any number of events, and the upstairs features three loft areas, including an office for the client, a private residence, and guest quarters for visiting artists.

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Type
Mixed-Use
Client
H K Enterprises
Location
Geyserville

Awards

2012 AIA California Council, Residential 
Citation Award
2010 AIA San Francisco, Merit Award
2008 ASLA Professional Awards, Honor Award
2008 AIA Redwood Empire, Citation Award

Press

Sonoma Magazine, “Cyrus Restaurant On the Rise (Again) in Geyserville,” September 2021
Eater SF, “Starred Wine Country Restaurant Cyrus Will Rise From the Ashes After Nearly a Decade,” March 2020
SF Chronicle, “Acclaimed Wine Country restaurant Cyrus will reopen in Geyserville after all,” February 2020
Old Buildings, New Designs, Charles Bloszies, Princeton Architectural Press, 2012
Architecture Zone Vol. 3, H.K. Rihan Int’l Culture Spread Ltd., 2010
Re-Use Architecture, Chris van Uffelen, Braun Publishing, 2010
International New Landscape, “Spatial Definition and Structuring,” Dec. 2008
Landscape Architecture, “Design for a Floodplain,” December 2008

Architects

Project Leads
Jensen Architects / Jensen & Macy Architects:
Mark Jensen
Frank Merritt
Patricia Pollock
Project Team
Dean Orr
Elmer Lin
Chia-Yu Yen
Nana Kim
Rouel de la Paz
Sherman Warren

Consultants

Structural
Tipping-Mar
Mechanical
Guttmann & Blaevoet
Electrical
Silverman & Light
Landscape
Andrea Cochran
Geotechnical
Bauer Associates
Civil
Atterbury & Associates
Surveyor
Crabtree Land Surveying

Contractor

Oliver & Company

Photographer

Richard Barnes
Marion Brenner
Jack Journey
Jeremy Jachym
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