Each of the rooms feels like a slightly different place. In the guest bathroom, for example, when you look up from the sink, you look out on an oak tree rather than into a mirror, which is on a side wall. Then there is a view out to the north looking at hills, and to the east out over a lake, and the view to the south running out to beautiful hills. Heymann says most of the rooms are relatively small and have high ceilings. We wanted it to be manageable.
Most rooms have large glass doors that open to the porch.
The living room has a series of large glass doors that embrace the view. The tin roof of the house extends beyond the porch. When it rains, it's possible to sit on the patio and watch the water pour down without getting wet. Under a gravel border around the house, a concrete gutter channels the water into a 25,000-gallon cistern for irrigation. In hot weather, a terrace directly above the cistern is a little cooler than the surrounding area.