Designed as a companion to an existing mid-century home by Joseph Esherick and Lawrence Halprin, the project expands family life without compromising the integrity of the original house.

Rather than attaching an addition, the new sleeping pavilion is pulled into the garden and connected to the original house by open-air bridges and a Japanese-inspired tea room. The space between the two structures creates a sequence of outdoor rooms—some intimate and protected, others opening toward expansive western views.

The result is a home that grows through addition rather than alteration, preserving the clarity of the original architecture while establishing a new relationship between family life, landscape, and the California climate.

Butterfly House sleeping pavilion and original mid-century home framing a shared Berkeley garden
Open-air bridge connecting the Butterfly House pavilion through the garden
Slatted wood bridge approaching a glass-walled room at Butterfly House
Cedar siding and deeply framed square window at Butterfly House
Family gathered on the deck of the Butterfly House pavilion beside the garden
Glass-walled Japanese-inspired tea room connecting the Butterfly House addition to the garden
Stainless-steel cable suspension detail supporting an open-air wood bridge at Butterfly House
Narrow water runnel passing beneath a wood bridge between garden rooms at Butterfly House
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