In the foothills just above Santa Barbara, California, is one such home. A labor of love and a feast for the senses, this home combines all those ingredients in something special. With the mountains just to the north, the Pacific Ocean to the south and the lights of Santa Barbara just below, the home’s geometry was purposefully kept simple to take advantage of the site’s views and features and create a complex set of spatial experiences.
The back of the home, designed by architect Dave Mendro, bows out to the lights of Santa Barbara below and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The arc of the home is reflected in the arc of the pool along the edge of the site, which is anchored at one end by a pergola-like structure that creates an outdoor room from which to watch the sunsets to the west.
The north (entry) side of the home is the concave portion of the crescent shape, a design that maximizes views across the site. The garage and entry are at the lower level, while all of the living spaces are above.
Access to the living areas from this lower level is by a glass staircase and a custom-made lift located in a vertical cylinder that, like a totem, denotes where the front door is.
The home is essentially one room wide with a circulation space along the edge. And rather than having traditional windows, the two long faces of the crescent are made of lift-slide doors. These doors allow for large, unobstructed views out while creating a home that’s transparent.
Rather than there being traditional walls and doors separating one room from the next, form and structure create privacy from room to room. Poured-concrete walls that are perpendicular to the long faces of the house provide rhythm and structure to the interior spaces.
No comments:
Post a Comment