Hill House

Project Summary

A groundbreaking net-zero estate created by cutting-edge building technology, resilient design, and artistic vision.

This modern architectural estate, seamlessly integrated into its ridgetop site, offers breathtaking 360-degree mountain and ocean views beneath a continuous green roof. Designed by Donaldson + Partners as an extension of the landscape, the home’s curved architectural concrete structure follows multiple 3D planes, disappearing into the natural topography.

The clients envisioned an environmentally sensitive, net-zero residence that could only be realized through cutting-edge technology—both to create a resilient living space and to house their significant modern art collection. MGAC led a collaborative effort utilizing BIM and advanced computer modeling to transform the architect’s vision into reality. A team of over 65 designers, engineers, consultants, contractors, and artists worked together to execute the highly intricate design, while also implementing sophisticated resiliency elements, including a purpose-built microgrid controller system with multiple energy sources.

The result is one of the most advanced homes ever built—both aesthetically and technologically—a structure that is as much a work of art as the masterpieces it holds. The execution of its dramatic, seemingly impossible architecture has earned widespread acclaim, with Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne calling it “the most important house built in the last 20 years.”