Slanting the window for a view of the torrey pine

Sunset, August, 1985

Slanting the window for a view of the Torrey pine The focal point of this new slanted wall of glass is a dramatic view up into a rare Torrey pine. Angling the big window inward expanded the view up into the long-needled tree. The two-story-high window also marks the point where a second story and new wing were added to a modest, one-story bungalow. Smaller versions of the slanted window are repeated in the addition's bedroom windows.

In the large window, each 2- by 16-1/2-foot panel of tempered glass mounts to the rafters, which run downward at a 60[deg.] angle and rest on a low outside wall. A rubber gasket and silicone caulk seal each panel; pieces of 1-by-4 trim mask the joints.

Inside is a 14- by 32-foot family room where owners Kathy and John Deal can have informal meals, play the piano, or enjoy games with their sons. The board-and-batten siding of the exterior continues into this north-facing room. A balcony overlooks the 16-foot-high space.

The addition was designed by San Diego architect Peter Rodi of Designbank.