Constructing Your Dream Home in the Heart of Wine Country

Bruce Falck had a longstanding aspiration to emulate his father’s footsteps, who owned a construction firm in Johannesburg, South Africa. His dream was to build a house uniquely designed for his family.

“Being a civil engineer, my father built both the houses we lived in while growing up,” said Falck, a 52-year-old, formerly an executive at Twitter and currently working on a startup. “For me, building a house is an embodiment of a father’s responsibility towards his family.”

In 2011, he nearly accomplished his aim. Falck and his wife, Lauren Weitzman, presently 41 and employed at Google, purchased a house in San Francisco. They appointed the architectural firm, Studio Vara, to carry out an extensive renovation. However, in 2013, just when the construction work was on the verge of commencement, the couple had a change of mind.

“The birth of our children was foreseeable,” said Falck, and the concept of existing in a transitional period amidst a prolonged construction process suddenly became less appealing, especially to Weitzman. (The couple now have three children aged between 4 to 8.) As an alternative, they decided to sell their house and acquire a property that did not require any additional work before moving in.

“Bruce was really bummed,” said Christopher Roach, a partner at Studio Vara. “But he said, ‘I promise you, in a few years we’re going to look for some land up in wine country, and we’re going to do a project together.’”

About five years later, in 2018, Roach received a two-word text message from Falck: “It’s time.”

With their architect’s help, the couple began searching for a lot in Healdsburg, in Sonoma County, and found a 15-acre hilltop site with views in all directions. “It felt like the African bush,” said Falck. The couple bought the lot for about $1.5 million in July 2018, before they had even fully explored the land.

Just before closing, Roach camped on the site overnight to study the property further, thinking about where best to situate a house. “I like to see where the sun rises and sets,” he said, “and where the breezes come from in the morning versus the afternoon.”

When the architect traversed the plot of land, he found it to be superior to his original perception.

He divulged that one portion of the hill slopes towards a creek that flows seasonally, boasting tall redwoods, whereas the other half is adorned with oak and pine trees. He narrated, “I captured numerous photos, took some notes and outlined preliminary drafts. The fundamental plan and structure of the building were guided by one of my earliest sketches.”

The initial design suggested a boomerang-style residence at the highest point of the plot, adjacent to a precipitous drop. Gradually, the blueprint transformed into a 6,200-square-foot residence encompassing 4,000 square feet of interior area, majorly encapsulated by glass, and a wide roof sheltering an additional 2,200-square-foot exterior area. When the glass doors are left wide open, it gives an impression of a deluxe lean-to.

Falck mentioned, “The temperature often escalates to unbearable heights there. However, the building essentially serves as a colossal shading structure.”

Weitzman was attracted to the same concept. She admitted to having a fondness for the charming, old-fashioned Southern-style wraparound porch in her younger years, and now, she says, they have achieved the modern equivalent of it.

A reinterpretation of a breezeway connects the two segments of the boomerang, boasting of pivoting and folding glass doors that can control their open/closed states. The wing oriented towards Mount Saint Helena and the sunrise houses the bedrooms, while the other wing, that faces towards the sunset, accommodates the kitchen, dining, and living spaces.

Abruptly, the interior living room transitions into an outdoor space, shaded by the outstretched roof. This solar space is shielded by a brise soleil and opens to further outdoor areas, including an outdoor kitchen, dining area, and a pool deck.

Ensuring all-round resilience, the house has been designed to resist fires. This has been achieved using the standing-seam zinc cladding and the construction of walking paths around the house to function as firebreaks. Moreover, it’s been designed to be totally self-sufficient during power blackouts with the help of solar panels wired to a battery backup. A personal well and septic system further add to the house’s self-reliance. The construction of the house had been delayed due to COVID-19 and wildfires. Nonetheless, the final result, orchestrated by Fairweather Associates, took about 2½ years to be ready, after consuming roughly $1,250 per square foot. The project was finally completed in June 2022.

We observe the sun descend, engrossed in the swimming pool or the steamy tub, with Bruce invariably managing the grill,” quotes Weitzman.

Indeed, it’s just like the rare, one-off dwelling that Falck had conceived.

“This is designed for permanence,” he injected. “My version of accomplishment would be to picture our offspring, in their autumn years, savoring wine on that terrace, whilst beholding their descendants frolic in the swimming pool. That’s my benchmark for success.”

McKeough is an independent writer. The original version of this piece was published in The New York Times.

About the Author: Chris Lehoux

Meet Chris Lehoux, an experienced wine connoisseur and dedicated blogger with a deep passion for all things wine-related. With years of expertise in the industry, Chris shares insightful wine reviews, valuable wine tasting tips, expert pairing advice, and captivating tales of vineyard visits. Join Chris on a journey through the world of wine, where every sip is an adventure waiting to be savored!