How one home embodies history and personality through design and materials.
The Radiant Hills House, tucked away in the serene Oakland Hills, embodies the harmonious fusion of the curated reuse of salvaged materials, the original home’s mid-century design, and mindfully modern functionality. Letting the materials guide the vision, this project reflects the personal vision of the Principal Architect at Design Draw Build (DDB), Tyler Kobick, AIA. The architect-owner’s renovation and additions to this 1949 home have transformed it into a vibrant living space serving as a family home, a home office, and a small multi-family neighborhood daycare. Revived with a critical regionalist approach, the home is at its core a response to place and the local environment, with a number of colorful twists and turns along the way. 
Most notably, green patinated copper adorns this Oakland midcentury home’s exterior, creating a quilt-like appearance. Tyler was able to salvage large pieces of historical flashing from an airplane hangar at the WWII Alameda Naval Air Station 20 minutes away. The firm’s fabrication team (already well trained in copper roofing) cut up the flashing into square shingles to invent a new siding system. These quilt-like pieces flat lock into shingles with a vertical T-metal system. Copper’s natural resistance to corrosion and durability made it ideal for withstanding the challenging weather conditions of the San Francisco Bay Area and salt from the ocean. These copper tiles now adorn 70 percent of the home as a patinated blue-green siding system. Celebrating the 90-year-old patina developed by the copper embodies the firm’s design tenets and intimate connection to craft that inform the home’s design.
The home is a curation of mindful reuse and passive design practices. Most materials were chosen for their durability and the story they evoke as they respond to the passage of time in their natural, unprocessed state. Blackboard slate reclaimed from a local grocery store, honey-golden aging walnut flooring salvaged from an office renovation, and custom-fabricated elements from steel and ipe scrap materials further highlight the commitment to durable, locally sourced materials that respond gracefully to the passage of time.
The Radiant Hills House reflects a deep reverence for its site. Set on a ridge with expansive views of the San Francisco Bay, the home bridges two distinct ecological zones. The East side is shaded by heritage oaks and redwoods. The West side opens to the Pacific Ocean and headlands. This orientation informs the design, creating an indoor-outdoor living experience that adapts to the unique microclimates of the Oakland Hills. The project navigated several site constraints, including challenging topography and preserving natural features such as a 4-foot diameter Monterey Cypress tree and an on-site creek. The phased approach to renovation allowed for a thoughtful and adaptive response to these challenges, ensuring the home remains intimately connected to its site.
Given the family’s strong musical roots and love for hosting, the front renovation centered on creating a warm gathering space for family and friends to come together, dine, and enjoy music. The renovation expanded the home’s kitchen and common areas, opening these rooms up to an expansive mahogany deck and further strengthening the connection to nature. New additions, including a primary suite, a free-standing office, a daycare, and 20’ tall sunken living room, integrate seamlessly with the existing structure while embracing natural light through clerestories. These additions rise above the original roofline, creating visual anchors that frame the home’s panoramic views.
The design weaves together the surrounding forest and panoramic views, creating a seamless flow between interior and exterior spaces. While honoring the original mid-century design, the renovation introduces contemporary elements such as a new mahogany deck and clerestory windows. Custom elements such as a modular tensile railing system and a library door with playful circulation further enhance the home’s character, and the rhythm of the windows, structured like piano keys, pays homage to the original owner’s musical heritage, adding a personal touch to the design.
For Tyler, the Radiant Hills House is more than a home – it is a personal sanctuary and an experimental space dedicated to the ‘design-build’ process. The home reflects his vision and lifestyle, integrating elements from his architectural practice and personal life. It stands as a prototype for the firm’s future work, continually evolving with the architect’s deepening understanding of the site and advances in building science.
From tactile copper siding to reclaimed slate, the history of the San Francisco Bay Area lives on in this family home. The Radiant Hills House is the coalescence of personal vision, adaptive reuse, and environmental stewardship. It is a living testament to Tyler’s commitment to craft, site sensitivity, and innovative design. The result is a vibrant and functional space that honors its historical roots while embracing modernity.
By Tyler Kobick
Tyler Kobick, AIA, is Principal/Founder at Design Draw Build (DDB), an East Bay architect-led design-build firm specializing in custom homes and socially impactful projects. Founded in 2010, DDB integrates architecture and construction, combining craft, critical regionalism, and environmental stewardship to create warm, modern spaces rooted in context and community.