A Fire-Resistant Home on Tricky Terrain Taps Into the Power of Prefab

As seasoned industrial designers, Rick and Linda Lewis were confident they could solve for a beautiful yet steeply sloped Carmel Valley site that many potential buyers had dismissed due to the difficulty of conventional construction. The recently retired couple, who sold their Palo Alto home to finance a new contemporary dream home, found their answer in prefab design. 

Not only could a factory-fabricated structure address the tricky topography with minimal grading, but it would also help them achieve their goal of building a sustainable forever home.

Inspired by Blue Sky Building Systems’ moment frames, the Lewises tapped the Southern Californian company to construct their home’s fire-resistant structure, and they collaborated with Andrew Goodwin Designs on the final structure.

"They came to us with many of their design ideas already chosen, and they had such a great design sense due to their work in the industry that they could clearly and quickly make decisions," says Goodwin. "We expanded upon their vision to help site the home, detail the interiors, and expand upon the concept to make the home much more of a designed object."