David Baker Architect | SHIFT house | San Francisco, California

David Baker's home and workspace, SHIFT's two levels share an austere-yet-quirky yard and freestanding woodshop.
upSHIFT's modest living quarters flank a sun-filled multipurpose room that extends onto a glass deck.
dnSHIFT houses a private apartment and art studio-gallery space that opens to the street.

Great Room
At the top of the stairs is a large room with an asymmetrically sloped high ceiling. It's a very flexible space with functional service areas—a kitchen, pantry, office, and library—located behind shoji screens fabricated from fiberglass, bamboo, and aluminum.

Shoji space
The kitchen, pantry, office, and library zone runs the entire length of one wall and is screened from the big room with fiberglass, bamboo, and aluminum screens that can be arranged for different degrees of permeability.

WC
The bathroom is small in floor area, but has a tall ceiling with a daylight scoop at the top.

Bamboo built-ins
Interior doors, shelves, and furniture are fabricated from plyboo, a plywood made from sustainable fast-growing bamboo.

Rain Garden
The rear yard is landscaped with permeable surfaces as a rain garden. Storm water runoff from the roof is directed to rusting steel planters filled with bamboo and horsetail plants, where it is allowed to infiltrate the natural water table.
The rear deck surface is textured glass, which allows maximum light to penetrate into this space with high concrete walls on two sides.
The WHY sign is part of the iconic 17 Reasons Why sign that used to be on top of a building at 17th and Mission streets.
It is being saved for future installation in a public space.

Sustainable Features:
-2.0K solar electric system generating over half of electrical power on site.
-Solar domestic hot water collection system providing over half of water heating needs.
-Digital dimming lighting controls on all lights to reduce consumption and extend bulb life. -Small-scale appliances: under-counter refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher.
-Passive solar design: high thermal mass, polished concrete floors, and south-facing clerestory warm the living areas.
-Casework and wood doors made from rapidly renewable material: bamboo plywood.
-Walls insulated with ground recycled denim batting.
-Rain garden system diverts roof water runoff from city sewage system and into local aquifers. -Permeable infiltration garden and pavers in city public sidewalk intercept storm water runoff in public right of way.