Portola Valley Residence is ‘Raising the Barn’

San Francisco’s Walker Warner Architects dream up a Portola Valley retreat that’s refreshingly modern—and belies its pastoral façade

Admired for its lush rolling hills, native oaks and staggering rugged beauty, Portola Valley has long been home to horses and high-tech investors alike. Tucked away on the eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains, not too far from better-known San Mateo hubs like Mountain View and Palo Alto, the town boasts a quiet, rustic charm. “The property had horses at one time,” says architect Greg Warner, principal of Walker Warner Architects in San Francisco. “My clients’ notion was that the simple form of a barn was very appealing and in keeping with the character of the surroundings.”