Set against the undulating landscape of the Livermore hills, California, this one-bedroom residence is conceived as a celestial system. A central circular courtyard, anchored by a sunken fire pit, serves as the architectural datum; here, the living programs orbit like planets around a sun. The experience is defined by a primary east-west axis, where the eastern entry offers an immediate, unobstructed view through the heart of the home toward the western horizon and the setting sun.

Programmatic zoning responds to the sun’s path: private quarters retreat to the shaded north, while social spaces (kitchen, dining, and living areas) expand into the light-filled south. In the high-diurnal climate of the East Bay, the architecture acts as a thermal regulator. Optimized overhangs, thick thermal walls, and a lushly vegetated lattice over the courtyard balance daily and seasonal heat gain, while an infinity pool to the prevailing west wind provides evaporative cooling.

The western pocket doors feature perforated metal panels that fracture the intense afternoon glare into a soft, textured glow that protects the interior. Shifting roof heights create a tiered silhouette, utilizing clerestory gaps to draw in gentle, diffuse light. By sculpting the void as intentionally as the mass, the design becomes a curated choreography of light and shadow.