All projects Technical Drawings

JH Residence

Altadena, CA · Sweeny Architecture

The entrance to JH Residence at dusk, with stone piers carrying a deep timber-lined eave above a pair of timber doors.

JH Residence is a single-story home in Altadena, California, under wide mono-pitch roofs, with deep eaves carried on exposed rafters and an integral garage at one end. TAK produced the technical drawings for Sweeny Architecture: the set a builder works from, rather than the set a client is sold on.

The documentation is built around an exploded assembly: roof planes lifted clear, the timber roof structure below them, floor build-ups separated out, and the fitted interior at the base. Taking a house apart in a drawing is the quickest way to show how it goes back together.

Long sections carry the rest. They run the length of the plan through kitchen, dining and living space, and they record the things that decide whether a detail works: eave depth and rafter spacing, the floor build-up over the foundation pads, ceiling heights where the roof pitch changes, and the glazing lines at each end.

The house seen from the driveway at sunset, with deep timber-lined eaves, a stone-clad pier at the entrance and the garage to one side.
The approach. The deep eave and the stone pier at the entrance are the moves the sections set out in detail.
A corner view of the house at sunset, with white rendered walls, timber-clad panels beneath the windows and a low stone base course.
The long elevation. The mono-pitch roof, the timber-clad spandrels and the stone base course run the length of the plan.
A covered terrace along the house, with timber-framed glazed doors, slender columns and stone steps down to the planting.
The covered terrace, where the roof carries past the glass line on exposed beams, the condition drawn in the long sections.
An exploded axonometric of the house, with roof planes, timber roof structure, floor build-ups and the fitted interior separated into layers.
The house taken apart: roof planes at the top, the timber roof structure beneath them, the floor build-ups separated out, and the fitted interior at the base.
A cutaway axonometric plan of the house, showing bedrooms, the open living space, kitchen and the integral garage.
The plan cut open: bedrooms at each end, the open living, dining and kitchen space through the middle, and the garage off the entry.
A long section through the house, showing the mono-pitch roofs, deep eaves, living space, kitchen and the foundation pads below the floor.
A long section through the living side. Eave depth, rafter spacing and the floor build-up over the foundation pads are all set out here.
A second long section, cutting through the kitchen island, dining area and lounge seating beneath the mono-pitch roof.
The second section runs through the kitchen and living space, recording ceiling heights where the roof pitch changes.
A third long section, through bar seating, the dining area, a bathroom and the full-height glazing at the end of the plan.
The third section reaches the end of the plan, where the glazing line and the bathroom fit-out meet the roof.
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