From Fire II

From Fire 2 documents the Oakland Hills residence Kim Turos built with her husband after losing their home in the 1991 firestorm that destroyed more than 3,000 houses in the Oakland/Berkeley Hills.

The house was designed in collaboration with Glass Associates, Inc., architects with Kim as an active partner in both concept and construction. The central theme is indoor/outdoor connectedness — architectural structures and materials extend into the surrounding landscape, creating outdoor rooms, while outdoor elements come inside: a watercourse begins at the back of the courtyard, runs through the glass atrium and the house, and out to a zero-edge reflecting pool. Passive solar design and an abundance of natural light are woven throughout.

Materials — concrete, wood, glass, and steel — are expressed in their natural state. The thick concrete walls are chiseled with handheld bush hammers to create a deeply textured surface that forms shadows and highlights. A two-story glass atrium at the heart of the house shelters tropical and exotic plants, mediating between the walled courtyard and the interior.

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