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In our design
work we weave together architecture with the client’s desires
and the context of the site surroundings. This idea of a direct meaningful
design connection is very important. Gestures that link the architecture
with the user and the landscape are very powerful. Ultimately, it
can create a special sense of place and a unique backdrop for living.
The oceanfront property of the Costner Residence is situated at the
point of a long, natural south-facing bay on the Central California
coastline. The family desired a dramatic contemporary house design
that would be used as a place of retreat. One is taken by the powerful
curve of the shoreline as it springs from the project site and gradually
diminishes eastward into the distant horizon. The curving arc of this
cove became the inspiration, metaphor, and a point of departure for
the forms of a unique bold house design.
The design solution is centered on a substantial limestone clad wall
that gradually arcs through the house acting as the spine off which
the interior spaces radiate. The gently arcing wall orchestrates the
sense of arrival from the point of entry leading through the house
as it gradually opens to the expansive ocean view. Functionally, the
wall serves to create much needed physical separation between the
more public living spaces and the private bedroom spaces on a very
narrow property where close quarters is an inescapable necessity.
An elliptical atrium clerestory floats high above the curved wall
and interior spaces. This ellipse manifests itself differently in
every room yet it is a continuous recognizable form throughout the
house. It provides a wonderful natural light quality into the interior
spaces that is ever changing. The back bedroom has a “periscope”
window where through the use of mirrors a glimpse of the ocean is
captured over the roofline. Service spaces are contained within the
mahogany clad elliptical walls of a freestanding sculptural element,
which we refer to as metaphorically as the “boat”.
The curvilinear forms of the architecture generate a strong sense
of presence, serenity, and appropriateness within its context. It
is a powerful and dynamic contemporary design, yet at the same time
maintains an intimate, warm quality that makes it a very livable and
functional home that serves a family of five well. |
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