Introduction

Modern residential architecture demands more than aesthetic prowess—it requires deep empathy for place. Few architects embody this ethos better than Fu-Tung Cheng, founder of Berkeley-based CHENG Design. Known for pioneering expressive cast-in-place concrete and site-sensitive residential design, Cheng harmonizes architecture with the natural topography, material memory, and human experience. His hillside sanctuary projects offer compelling case studies in how sculptural form, sustainability, and environmental responsiveness can converge to create poetic, livable art.

Historical Context and Architectural Philosophy

Cheng’s entry into architecture began through an unconventional door: fine arts. Trained initially as a painter and sculptor, he brought his artistic dexterity to architecture when founding CHENG Design in 1986 in Berkeley, California. His hands-on approach and drive to celebrate materials in their raw and expressive form led to his pioneering of decorative concrete techniques in residential architecture. Cheng is widely credited with helping to elevate concrete from utilitarian material to medium of tactile storytelling, particularly through kitchens, entry courtyards, and sculptural walls.

His practice champions a “live-with-the-land” philosophy—particularly relevant in his hillside residences, where architecture is drawn from the shape, mood, and ecological memory of the land itself. Cheng does not simply place buildings on a site; he allows the land to dictate their form, flow, and spirit.

Design Principles: Architecture in Dialogue With Nature

Integration With Topography

A hallmark of Cheng’s hillside homes—such as the House 2 in Moraga (1994) and the Ascension House in Los Altos Hills (2016)—is their seamless integration into naturally sloped sites. By aligning floor plates with land contours, and using stepped volumes that cascade down the slope, these homes preserve and accentuate their natural setting. Architecture here becomes an extension of geology and ecosystem, not disruption.

Sculptural Craftsmanship

Cheng’s work blurs the line between architectural composition and sculpture. The House 7 in Los Altos Hills includes a striking celadon-toned concrete wall that mimics weathered rock faces. Another wall is intentionally designed to erode over time, revealing embedded art objects and layers—illustrating both material impermanence and narrative depth. It’s a profound architectural gesture that turns aging and entropy into aesthetic strategy.

Material Authenticity and Sustainability

Material selection in Cheng’s hillside homes reflects a reverence for texture, memory, and locality:

• Reclaimed woods such as redwood, elm, and even salvaged railroad ties appear frequently in structural and decorative elements, imbuing projects with a tactile sense of history.
• Cast-in-place concrete is used both structurally and ornamentally—floors are often polished and embedded with semi-precious stones or found objects, turning a utilitarian surface into a personalized canvas.
• Exterior cladding selections like yakisugi (charred cedar), employed in the Portola Valley House, serve both as weather-resistant siding and muted visual warmth that nestles into forested settings.

Building Techniques and Technical Detailing

Responsive Site Planning

Topographical sensitivity is enhanced through experience-oriented entryways. At the Tiburon Bay House, arrivals begin with a climb—precast, cantilevered steps guide occupants through an elevated “canyon path,” turning architectural procession into an interaction with landscape. The choreography of movement mimics hiking trails or stone paths etched in hillsides.

Structural Systems

Key structural innovations that recur in Cheng’s hillside projects include:

• Glulam trusses paired with custom-forged metal brackets for vaulted interiors with unobstructed views.
• Deep roof overhangs and variable aperture skylights that temper solar gain while framing ever-shifting light patterns throughout the day. These moves lend interiors a distinct shadow-play—Cheng calls it a “theater of light.”
• Cast-in-place concrete islands and walls with integral pigments, inlays, and custom edges—sometimes reflecting the client’s cultural background, always crafted on-site for finish control and visual coherence.

Landscape Integration

Cheng goes beyond preservation—he celebrates existing natural features. In several houses, heritage oaks are wrapped by courtyards composed of curved concrete benches and planters. These spaces blend hardscape with botanic life, turning formerly overlooked tree roots into narrative centerpieces of daily life. Residential design here enters a bench-level dialog with ecology itself.

Case Studies in Context

To better understand Cheng’s body of hillside work, it’s valuable to explore several landmark projects:

Relevance for Architects and Homeowners

Cheng’s hillside homes serve as blueprints for architects and builders seeking to align form with ecology, and for homeowners invested in creating architecture that reflects place, memory, and sustainable ethos. His methods demonstrate several implementable strategies:

• Siting Matters: Understand the land’s natural grading, solar path, and ecological assets before initiating any design move. Let topography inspire, not oppose, your architectural program.
• Material Embodiment: Incorporate materials that resonate with the local environment—reclaimed wood, exposed aggregate, or weathering elements can create homes with timeless aesthetic narrative and ecological integrity.
• Craft Detail Early: For cast-in-place work like Cheng’s decorative concrete, involve craftsmen or specialty subcontractors during schematic design. This ensures adequate budget and design synergy before documentation stages.
• Interior-Exterior Fusion: Use framed views, water features, and vegetation-enhancing enclosures (like Cheng’s sculpted entry courtyards) to blur the boundary between shelter and sanctuary.

Conclusion: Sculptural Storytelling Through Home

In an age demanding climate sensitivity and place-conscious design, Fu-Tung Cheng’s hillside homes stand as artful, enduring exemplars of what residential architecture can be: an act of sculptural storytelling. Each poured wall, salvaged beam, or framed oak tree reflects a narrative embedded in the land itself. For architects and homeowners alike, these homes offer a call to build not on the land, but with it—crafting dwellings that stand with humility, artistry, and an unshakable sense of belonging.