A Spirit of Connection

It was an unlikely match. 1970’s Berkeley DIY and mid-century modern. A tall client and low ceilings. A small family - french bulldog included - who enjoy playing, cooking, and working together in a house that would keep them apart. The location - on the lower slope of the Berkeley Hills with a creek and almost tropical jungle feel in the back of the house - was the instant attraction.

The goal was to take it from disconnected to connected, piecemeal to fluid, isolated to communal. It required a matchmaker to bring the disparate parts together. Such an intermediary was found in the collaboration of the clients, Sidell Pakravan Architects, Henrybuilt, and Jetton Construction.

Berkeley, California

Henrybuilt’s adaptable system intertwines the performance kitchen with a pantry, a utility space, a practical entry, powder room, and work desk into one interconnected space. It creates a sense of calm and cohesiveness in a very active arena. Opencase, Henrybuilt’s functional wall paneling provides a seamless joint, making the storage and wall indecipherable, creating a sense of continuity between spaces, and adding a solidity and richness to walls.

Yet, the kitchen doesn’t stand alone. Bridges - in the form of open architecture and strategic placement of Henrybuilt’s storage pieces - are used between the kitchen and the living room and beyond.

"Henrybuilt is the connecting spirit," said Architect Rudy Pakravan.