Located atop a mountain with distant views of the Channel Islands off the Santa Barbara coast, these buildings attempt to take a differential attitude to beautify the immediate landscape and the profundity of the panoramic views. Envisioned as a series of horizontal planes nestled into the hillside to create shelter while maximizing the view and exposure to the ocean and city views below. The earthen roofs allow the structures to nearly disappear as one approaches them from above, only to slowly reveal themselves as a series of eroded masses nestled within the confines of the hillside.
The singularly expressive moment defines the primary entry point of the home whereby the erosion of the masses is most pronounced, and what remains is the soaring horizontal element defining the entry but not yet giving way to interior space. This blurring of interior and exterior space further belies the conventional approach to a site with such stunning vistas. The building asks for them to be patient, introducing instead dramatic framed views of the sky, curated courtyards, and intimate inward-looking gardens. Ultimately, the grand view is revealed as one descends to the primary living space. However, instead of creating the disconnected view of nature so often found in contemporary designs, the distant view is complemented by the proximity to nature through an internal courtyard nestled into the hillside, creating a curated physical connection to the natural elements.
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