This project is a ground-up, custom home in Olivenhain (east of Encinitas) completed in 2012. The Mazieks are a young couple with two small children. Their tastes ran towards “Dwell Magazine” rather than the typical Spanish / Mediterranean found throughout the community. The parcel was severely restricted due to open space easements, slopes and a restriction on the size of the second floor. We sited the house to capture views of the nearby mountains and blurred the boundary between indoors and outdoors. Spaces within the open floor plan are defined by materials and changes in ceiling and / or floor heights. A stone wall spans from outside to in and acts as the organizing “spine” of the home. The home’s construction costs were unusually low due in part to the owner’s relentless internet shopping research