A conceptual model of the Composers' Cottages, designed into the hillside by architect Daniel Solomon, jazz musician Patrick Gleeson and artist Nellie Solomon. Models and drawings for the project are being reviewed by the city.

City is poring over Montalvo's plans for new artists' cottages

By Steve Enders

If all goes according to plan, artists coming to Montalvo for its artists-in-residence program will have new accommodations and workspaces to enjoy.

Also, if everything goes according to plan, those artists' accommodations are going to be sophisticated, architecturally complex and rich in promoting a first-rate space in which to live and work.

Take for instance the musicians' quarters--a unit literally built into the hillside to achieve top acoustic quality, complete with a front door that can be adjusted to "fine tune" the room.

The cottages geared for visual artists and writers have been set to plan with the help of sculptor Richard Serra and Nobel laureate Czeslaw Milosz, who defined his perfect living space through his poetry. Milosz led architects to design a place that calls "attention to the articulation of clearly defined volumes and spatial experience."

The artists have defined their perfect work and living spaces, and the architects of the Orchard of Artists project, and StastnyBrun Architects have implemented the designs. Now it's up to the city of Saratoga to decide whether it agrees with their ideas.

The provisions of James Phelan's will are being carried out at Montalvo. The late senator said he wanted to dedicate his estate to the visual arts, music, writing and architecture.

"This project speaks volumes to the core mission of what we're about," says Elisbeth Challener, Montalvo executive director. "He saw architecture as an art, and we believe the architecture that's gone into building these structures is a legacy suitable to the Villa itself."

Nothing's been built yet, but a drive up the road to Montalvo shows where the new artists' cottages might be. Story poles, wooden posts set in the ground to illustrate the size of a structure, and taped-off trees outline the basic spaces they may take.

Plans are going through the city's architectural and design review procedures now, according to James Walgren, community development director.

The Orchard of Artists project consists of 10 artists' residences and work spaces and a commons building. That, along with other expenses has pushed Montalvo's budget for the project to more than $4 million, most of which will be paid for through fundraising.

Each building has been uniquely designed on both the exterior and interior, and each has been arranged so it complements the others as well.

From the outside, the buildings look interesting. The visual artists' cottages incorporate a "pinwheel" design, created in 1954 by Peter Blake and Jackson Pollack. Another set of cottages separates the living and work spaces into two buildings, but from the side appear to be connected, thanks to a curved roof line.

Besides the intriguing architecture, the Montalvo board has stressed sustainability. Larry Strain, of Siegel and Strain Architecture, is making sure environmentally friendly materials are used.

A metal roof on one cottage means durability and recyclability down the road, and wood from sustainable forests are two ways to create a "green" project. Strain says he's also considering efficiency of heating and electricity in the buildings.

"It's all about the art," Strain says, "but we're trying to relate that to the environment. We're not out to make the greenest architecture possible, but taking what we've got and optimizing it."

Challener says that Montalvo can only accept about 11 percent of the nearly 350 artists' applications it receives annually. The new residences will allow Montalvo to increase its occupancy, in which artists typically spend up to three months working.

"Time is the most precious gift you can give to an artist," Challener says. "People stress all the research and development time that's needed for high tech, but artists need it too."

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