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Too many folks think just because you have wealth that you have to build a oversized Gaudy McMansion as some kind of totem to prove your wealth to the unwashed masses.

I myself like smaller well built with high quality material and nice architecture with a large lot/waterfront.

Actually, this seems like a McMansion to me. Very narrow to fit into a tight lot.

Except the lot is much bigger in this case than a McMansion lot typically is. :)

I wonder if the design was made when they couldn't tear down the old house and they thought they'd have to squeeze it in. :)
 
WTH? Whoever wrote this clearly doesn't have any idea about what has been going on in architecture in, oh, the past 150 years. I met Peter Bohlin last year and we got to talking about his design strategies. He's been doing similar work throughout his career, even before BCJ (then Bohlin Powell) was founded in 1965. Check out Japanese architecture from the past 1,500 years.

As an architecture major and architectural history minor I find this comment to be Jobs-worship. Thinking that nobody else could come up with the concept of a simple and sophisticated design is just asinine.

My rant aside, I love the floor plan and can't wait to see some elevations/perspectives. Go BCJ!

Also, on a side note, BCJ is the firm that designed Bill Gates' house...

Bill Gates copying Steve AGAIN, just earlier than usual this time... (!) (<-- That's a sarcasm mark)
 
Man, that is a crummy little house by Silicon Valley standards if I ever saw one. I live in the neighboring town (Portola Valley), which is essentially the same as Woodside, and hence know many homes in the area (including the one I live in). And by current standards around here, not having a private bathroom for EACH bedroom, and a LARGE closet, is pretty substandard. Also, to only have *1* walk-in in the master rather than 2 is not good. No home theater? Large gym with panoramic views? Sauna/steam room/? Sun room? Library? Detached guest suite or guest house (in-law/nanny quarters, etc.)? Swimming pool? Hot tub? This honestly doesn't look like a place where a man of his caliber would be living full-time. Of course his house in Palo Alto isn't huge, either, but at least it is charming, historic, enchanted.

He has a number of kids, so I'm not sure how they would all fit into this small space with their friends when, e.g., everyone comes home for summers, holidays, etc. Typical houses for higher level people in the Woodside area would have at least 6-7 bedrooms, a bathroom for each bedroom, plus several additional half bathrooms, and probably about 10,000 squ. ft.

Only thing that makes sense to me is that he would view this as his retirement house since it'll only be done ~5 years, anyway. And I suppose for retirement people like to keep it small and simple. That would make sense to me and might hint at when he might be planning on retiring.
 
Wow, pretty crappy design. Rooms all in a row? What are those, military barracks?

Even the iphone has finally forgone the too simplistic approach of Apple, this house should learn from the iPhone.
 
In an age where architect and design firms are just starting to apply to Apple's design principles to the building of homes,

Quite the opposite!
 oesn't live in a shell, its products reflects the evolutions in art and technology.  designs, thanks to Ive doesn't look odd alongside F. L. Wright or Alvar Aalto buildings and furnitures.
 
This is exactly the kind of dream house I'd want! Quite big but not too big to loose control over it. Everything makes sense in it and there's nothing unnecessary. I wonder what it would look like on the inside, colors, tables, walls, floor, lights and all that.
 
Easy Sell!

Do u think if Steve decides to sell his house he can just hit a restore button to clean it up for the new owners? Then, when he moves on to the next one he can just restore from backup and nothing from before is lost!
Silly joke I know, but I had to post it!
 
Man, that is a crummy little house by Silicon Valley standards if I ever saw one. I live in the neighboring town (Portola Valley), which is essentially the same as Woodside, and hence know many homes in the area (including the one I live in). And by current standards around here, not having a private bathroom for EACH bedroom, and a LARGE closet, is pretty substandard. Also, to only have *1* walk-in in the master rather than 2 is not good. No home theater? Large gym with panoramic views? Sauna/steam room/? Sun room? Library? Detached guest suite or guest house (in-law/nanny quarters, etc.)? Swimming pool? Hot tub? This honestly doesn't look like a place where a man of his caliber would be living full-time. Of course his house in Palo Alto isn't huge, either, but at least it is charming, historic, enchanted.

He has a number of kids, so I'm not sure how they would all fit into this small space with their friends when, e.g., everyone comes home for summers, holidays, etc. Typical houses for higher level people in the Woodside area would have at least 6-7 bedrooms, a bathroom for each bedroom, plus several additional half bathrooms, and probably about 10,000 squ. ft.

Still living the American Dream over there? ;)
 
Thats not apart of what a home should be. Homes are for eating, sleeping, loving, and relaxing. A screening room is for... Well, none of those.

Nicely put. I follow the "no TV in the bedroom" rule for similar reasons (that room is for two things); will now extend the rule accordingly and start planning for the next house with suitable layout.
 
by current standards around here, not having a private bathroom for EACH bedroom, and a LARGE closet, is pretty substandard. Also, to only have *1* walk-in in the master rather than 2 is not good. No home theater? Large gym with panoramic views? Sauna/steam room/? Sun room? Library? Detached guest suite or guest house (in-law/nanny quarters, etc.)? Swimming pool? Hot tub?

Sounds like a naysayer's talking points.

"by current standards in the computer industry, not having a port for EACH peripheral, and a LARGE storage device, is pretty substandard. Also, to only have *1* source of apps rather than 2 or more is not good. No big/dual screen? Full sized keyboard with cursor & numerics? Multicore processor? Printer/scanner? Upgradable memory? Separate user logins or guest access (kids, co-worker, etc.)? Native compiler? Wired networking?"

This house will become as lauded for minimalism perfected as his product line.

A few years into my 2500+ sq ft home, I'm realizing how little of it we use, and the poor (albeit normal) layout thereof. Jobs' layout is right: one floor should for, as ArtOfWarfare put it, eating, sleeping, loving, and relaxing - once you go to that floor, you can stay there to satisfy those prolonged basic needs; should you wish to transition to other activities, you go to another floor (or building) so situated. I like it, a nice scalable design. Cross the space layout of Jobs' home with the environment-friendly design of Bush's home and the result would be awesome.
 
Jackling house no architectural gem

Having seen pictures of the Jackling house, in my personal opinion, this is barely an architectural gem worth preserving, being a rather ugly house. I think the spanish colonial revival of the 1920's was a blind alley. I do however hope that if SJ does not want it, the famous pipe organ in the house is not scrapped and will either be donated to an organ preservation society or sold to someone who will restore and use it.

Wilson
 
So THAT'S what this house is! No wonder why there were no windows diagrammed in the blueprints!



In that case, the only thing a robber needs to do to get into the iHouse is jailbreak the security system :D

LOL........I love this thread!


:D Jailbreak the iHouse:cool:
 
I would have a turntable in front of the garage. You can devote less space to the driveway area.

Turntables are for people who can't afford enough space or live in busy areas. They are a waste of time and energy. An optimally-sized driveway is a more elegant solution.

Also, to only have *1* walk-in in the master rather than 2 is not good. No home theater? Large gym with panoramic views? Sauna/steam room/? Sun room? Library? Detached guest suite or guest house (in-law/nanny quarters, etc.)? Swimming pool? Hot tub?

Those things are for the new rich or the status-insecure. When you're sufficiently wealthy to actually do whatever you want that stuff is junk and a waste of time.
 
Some people obviously want their homes to feel like a home rather than a hotel.

If we're speculating, maybe those with private baths for each bedroom care more about their guests/kids than you? A person who gives everyone equal convenience to his or her own bedroom shows that they don't think they deserve better than others. It's a bit hypocritical to criticize someone's opinions on this house by criticizing his or her house.

I like the house, but as others have said, I'd at least offer baths for individual bedrooms.
 
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