Community Hub | Rodeo Beach, California | Spring 2024
Embrace Vera Lodge sits within the rugged landscape of Rodeo Lagoon, forming a quiet dialogue between architecture and nature. The design seeks to merge with the terrain rather than stand apart from it—its curved form follows the land's contours, creating a gentle rhythm between built and unbuilt environments.
The project draws inspiration from Sharon Davis Design’s Women’s Opportunity Center and John Lin’s A House for All Seasons. Using locally sourced clay bricks rotated at a 30-degree angle, the façade becomes both protective and porous—filtering light, softening wind, and casting textured shadows that shift throughout the day.
Elevated pathways and terraces extend from the main volume, encouraging movement, reflection, and a gradual engagement with the surrounding landscape. Each transition—between ground, structure, and sky—is designed to feel seamless, promoting accessibility and inclusion for all visitors.
Embrace Vera Lodge embodies an environmentally integrated approach to architecture: one that values local materials, minimal intervention, and a continuous exchange between human presence and natural rhythm.
“Architecture here acts less as an object and more as a continuation of place.”
Site Integration
The curved structure follows the slope of Rodeo Lagoon, blending with the surrounding topography.
Facade Detail
Rotated clay bricks form a breathing façade that responds to sunlight, wind, and humidity.
Interior Atmosphere
Soft daylight and earthen textures create an intimate space for rest and contemplation.
Plans and Sections
The organization traces the site's natural flow, revealing views and connections to the landscape.
Elevation Study
A 30-degree brick rotation and curved envelope illustrate how material and form adapt to climate.
Structure Diagram
A light, low-impact construction system minimizes excavation and preserves the existing terrain.
Final Model
The final model captures the lodge’s integration with the landscape, showing how the curved form settles naturally into the terrain. The rotated brick façade and roofline demonstrate the building’s continuous dialogue with topography, light, and material texture.