50 DIGS.NET
|
12.7.2018
50 DIGS.NET
|
12.7.2018
I
t took over a year to complete this 1,900-square-
foot house, built on a 40-acre site and surrounded
by nature. But due to local land use restrictions,
architect Mary Ann Gabriele Schicketanz faced the
challenge of finding a site with enough room to fit a
home with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living
area and an open kitchen in a reduced sloping plot
next to an existing access road.
e project was designed "to interlock the
structure with the land as much as possible," says
Schicketanz, founder and principal architect at
Studio Schicketanz. To achieve this, the team "cut a
wedge into the gentle hillside, tied the house to the
hill and accommodated many functions—garage,
laundry, powder room, pantry, mechanical room—
underground." Complementing the exterior cedar
siding and expansive glass, the green roof, made by
expert Fred Ballerini, helps to both blend the house
with its context and protect it from noise and extreme
temperatures. Inside, the undulating ceiling, which
ranges from 8 to 10 feet in height, creates movement.
"e use of natural and locally found materials, and
dramatic views of the Pacific were central to the
design," adds Schicketanz, who remained focused
on the main objective of minimizing the house's
impacts and maximizing the dramatic views
throughout the project's progress, in an attempt
to give the feeling of shelter while celebrating the
breathtaking panorama.
W R I T T E N B Y K A R I N E M O N I É
Blending Building & Beauty
Designed for a Malibu-based couple and their two young daughters,
this Big Sur vacation home maximizes majestic ocean views
