Images courtesy Judy Meuschke of Alain Pinel Realtors
The iconic Northern California "Flintstone House"—affectionately nicknamed by passersby for its aesthetic similarities to the Hanna-Barbera cartoon—is now on the market again after 19 years. Designed in 1976 by architect William Nicholson, the single-family residence was an experiment in design and non-traditional building materials. It is currently on the market for $4.2 million and listed by Judy Meuschke of the Alain Pinel Realtors of Burlingame.
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Nicholson pioneered a method of forming the house by spraying shotcrete onto steel rebar and mesh frames over inflated aeronautical balloons to create his dome-like structures.The house is reminiscent of European cave homes. Its organic structure is favored among the growing number of monolithic dome enthusiasts globally. Yet, the Flintstone House wasn’t always appreciated.
Wayne Da San Martino, a San Francisco builder who managed the project in 1976 told Wave Magazine in 2006, “They thought the architect was a stoner. The design was too aggressively new for such a conservative community. I don’t think they’ll ever build something like this again in Hillsborough.”But, as with most things built before their time, the Flintstone House would have easily been abandoned or demolished, had it not been for homeowners who found affinity in its organic charm. The current owner made a number of enhancements to the house including a steel door with rectangular coils designed by famed Burning Man artist, Dan Das Mann, and a kitchen redesign by architect Eugene Tsui.Perhaps the most charming nook in the lair is a sunk-in conversation pit with a domed ceiling, fireplace, and amoeba-shaped views. Think: a James Bond haven in a Turkish mountainside. Nicholson’s organic sensibilities have proven to come back in fashion. This house deserves someone just as future-forward and enlightened as Nicholson.
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