Architecture Wednesday: The Light House

I am not really one to go into a house of worship, though I am one to go into a house of worship that has been converted into a house; or, in the case of this church across from Dolores Park in San Francisco, four houses.

The church, a  dome-capped, Neoclassical building, the Second Church of Christ Scientist, dates back to 1915. Originally designed by architect William Crim, it served as a church throughout the20th century and was recently reimagined as The Light House by developer Siamak Akhavan as four private residential units, one of which is now up for grabs. And that unit boasts 5,332 square feet on three levels, retaining much of the original character of the church, cathedral ceilings, exposed brick walls, and stained-glass windows.

Upon arrival, a formal entry on the lower-level leads to a generously sized family room/sitting room, and den/media room; the den features wood paneling, exposed brick and exposed beams overhead and is encircled by steel columns, and could be ideal for a home business use as it has a separate entryway from the garage, or could be divided into multiple bedrooms or other uses. There is a bathroom, laundry room/prep kitchen, and access to a shared garden for all residents.

Back in the foyer, a staircase crafted from the original building timber connects the lower level with the main floor great room with 30’ cathedral ceilings spanning the entire width of the room, complete with exposed brick walls, polished cement floors, steel beams, original and repurposed woodwork, walnut paneling, art-glass clerestory windows, and more. The great room also features several sitting areas, a dining room, and industrial-style chef's kitchen, powder room, home office or nursery, and one of the home’s bedrooms.

On the top floor are two bedrooms, both with skylights and exposed brick walls. The front bedroom has an attached walk-in closet, while generous back bedroom looks out over the shared garden. These rooms share a stunning bathroom with a double vanity, limestone Roman tub and a glass-enclosed walk-in shower. The hallway connecting the bedrooms is illuminated by overhead skylights and one of the sides of the hallway has a lattice-covered opening looking down into the great room below.

Like I said, I’m not much for a house of god, but this house is fit for the goddesses, and in my favorite city in the world. Pray I can come up with $5,995,000 so I can buy this one.

As always,click to emBIGGERate ...

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