The client's wish was a simple house, a kind of barn in downtown Palo Alto. The inspiration came from the modest furniture and architecture of the “Shakers” and the works of the conceptual artist Gordon Matta-Clark who created new spatial references through cuts in buildings in the 1970s with his “splitting” projects. The project gains its strength from reduction: The volume of the building is reduced (the gable facade is indented to create a covered outdoor space), the internal subdivisions are reduced. A large loft-like space is created from many small existing rooms). The window formats are reduced to a few square formats. The dimensions of the shell of the house remained unchanged. This was important in regard to the local set back regulations. The interior, however, was completely hollowed out; the stair case was relocated. The wooden structure was reinforced with steel frames. The outside of the house is planked with cedar wood; a zinc roof ,typical for barns, replaces the bitumen shingles. The monochrome, blue-gray paint takes away the strength of all the busy trim details and calms the entire facade.