Inspired by the coniferous trees flanking the front and back of the house, we adopted the stacked triangle pattern the Indians used to symbolize trees. Variations of the triangle are seen in the rich woodworking as well as the lines, textures and colors of the stained glass and ceremic tile. Several past designers have attempted to define a California architecture that

responded to native materials and indigenous dwellings, as well as new cultural influences. The Wukuppe House also aspires to those past goals and pays tribute to those past designers. intergrating the influences of Frank Lloyd Wright's geometrically designed stain glass, the Green and Green brothers' wood details, as well as the traditional gable seen in the work of Morgan and Maybeck. The intent is to blend these forms and materials together in such a way that the process becomes a sort of weaving.

 

One of the secret pleasures of the Wukuppe House is the beautiful and efficient passive solar design. Hidden within the soft stucco texture are massive concrete walls, ready to receive the rays of the winter sun that pour through the southern windows. In summer, the redwood rafters branch out to effectively shade against overheating. As a final touch, stained glass windows, placed with precision according to the solar cycles, transmit shadows that allow the homeowner to follow the passing of the seasons as well as each day. At night the windows of the Wukuppe take on a mysterious glow of a long lost tribal campfire, beaming colored light out into the star-filled Castro Valley skies.