The Cowell House

The Cowell House, located at one hundred seventy-one San Marcos Avenue, is defined by its redwood-clad exterior and a deceptive street-level facade that hides a sprawling four-level design sloping down the hillside. Built in nineteen thirty-three, this residence is recognized as one of the first fully expressed Modern houses in San Francisco. Its architects, Irving and Gertrude Morrow, designed the structure just years after Irving Morrow completed his work on the Golden Gate Bridge, where he famously chose the bridge’s signature international orange color.