Cobri Residence is situated in a predominantly historic neighborhood where new development has been gradually layered over time. The original house—part of a wave of simplified Mediterranean-style homes built during Redwood City’s 1930s port-era boom—retains its street presence, while a new upper-level ADU is added as a deliberate, contemporary counterpart.

From the sidewalk, the project reads as a clear dialogue between old and new. The Spanish-influenced façade remains grounded and familiar, while above, a crisp gable introduces a second silhouette—distinct in form, yet tied back through a shared stucco finish. At the entry, the original home’s scale is reinforced through a recessed threshold and compact canopy. The addition is present but not overpowering: the gabled portal sits overhead as a quiet signal that the house now contains two dwellings, stacked with intention.

Interiors across both dwellings follow one simple guideline—warm-toned floors paired with cool-toned walls—while the material expression shifts between generations. In the main house, the kitchen anchors daily family life: durable surfaces, clear work zones, and soft thresholds that keep the plan open and social. Above, the ADU continues that sense of clarity, translating it into a lighter, more contemporary register—an everyday room shaped by daylight and proportion rather than partitions.

The ADU is experienced as a sequence—from private entry to vertical ascent to quiet rooms at the perimeter. The stair acts as the hinge, drawing daylight into the section and setting a calm tempo on arrival. From there, the plan shifts from public to private: the bathroom uses translucency to diffuse light and maintain privacy, while the primary bedroom sits beneath the gabled volume, opening to sky and treetops as a minimal retreat for extended stays.

Photography by Bruce Damonte.