Interiors and Exteriors: Bay Area Architecture, Landscape, and Design Highlights, Spring 2023
In this issue, spring becomes an occasion to showcase Tierney Conner's integrated approach to Bay Area living, inside and out. A Marin County whole-home renovation connects a family's global sensibility to the surrounding landscape, a North Berkeley entry garden pairs modern hardscape with a vintage Tudor home, and the Orinda Residence nears completion as a literal treehouse in the oak canopy. We also share notes on a Berkeley fitness studio, a new Oakland comedy theater, and a few things worth seeing this season.
The changing of seasons is a phenomenon that greatly inspires our work, and spring, with its sudden transformation, is no exception. The flourish of warm sunshine and budding trees has us ready to open windows, spend time outside, and share recently completed projects that reflect how we think about Bay Area living.
Marin Renovation: A Global Home Grounded in Its Landscape
Our practice is built around a simple conviction: the interior and exterior of a building should be designed together. We take cues from the existing structure, the site, and the people who live there to develop solutions that feel personal rather than applied.
The Marin Renovation is a clear example of this approach. The project extensively redeveloped both the interior and exterior of the home to reflect the family within and to connect to the larger natural landscape beyond. We selected finishes, light fixtures, and furnishings to pair with the clients' vast collection of travel mementos, creating a modern global feel that is at the same time grounded in the colors and materials of the surrounding environment.
North Berkeley Entry Garden: Modern Hardscape Meets a Vintage Tudor
North Berkeley Garden
Landscape design and horticultural expertise are central to our work, and spring is the right moment to highlight this North Berkeley entry garden. We paired modern board-formed concrete and gravel hardscape with a vintage Tudor-style home to create an interesting and welcoming street presence. A monochromatic palette serves as a backdrop for lush planting where scale and texture carry the visual interest. Subtle outdoor furniture, planters, and garden details reveal themselves gradually as a hint of what awaits inside.
Orinda Residence: A Treehouse in the Oak Canopy
The recently completed Orinda Residence is a whole-house renovation and addition for an active family of four. The exterior strategy enlarges and connects the home to its sloping site across three different levels. The main living space, shown in the interior rendering, is designed to invite the outdoors in at every turn. We set out to create a treehouse in the most literal sense: the space is elevated within the canopy of native oaks, and the architecture makes that relationship impossible to ignore.
The Bar Method, Berkeley California
THE BAR METHOD EXERCISE STUDIOThe Bar Method in Berkeley recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. When designing this studio, we used small moves to change shape and build strength – just like their exercise approach. The space is unique, and it is standing the test of time. We continue to be fans of their seriously amazing workouts and encourage you to give them a try.
THE BEST OF OAKLANDThe Best of Voting is upon us once again and Tierney Conner has been nominated in the “Best Residential Architect” and the “Best Interior Design Firm” categories. As always, we appreciate your votes. If you have a few moments, please follow the link below – you will find our categories under Household and General Services.
ALL OUT COMEDYAll Out Comedy has opened in Oakland, offering improv and standup comedy workshops, shows and classes. We collaborated with owner Colleen Breen to convert the ground floor space on Telegraph Avenue into a bustling community theater where weekly shows light up the stage.
THE AIA EAST BAYHome Tour is on May 20th. “Exploring all the places we call home” will be showing an interesting variety of local living spaces that you can explore at your own pace. For a preview and to purchase tickets visit the AIA East Bay website.
DESERT X 2023The Desert X 2023 exhibition can now be experienced in Coachella Valley though May 7. The beautiful sculptural and spatial installations engage the desert to promote cultural and environmental awareness, and the preview has us eager to see it. *No. 1225 Chainlink by Rana Begum shown below
*No. 1225 Chainlink by Rana Begum
THINGS TO CHECK OUTMARIN RENOVATION
ORINDA RESIDENCE
Tierney Conner Architecture is an Oakland-based studio founded in 2004 that integrates architecture, interior design, and landscape design in-house for custom residential, multi-family, and commercial clients across the East Bay and San Francisco Bay Area. The practice is led by partners Anne Tierney, Erin Conner, and J. Jarrell Conner, and is located at 363 17th Street in downtown Oakland.