A modernist skyline residence by ShubinDonaldson studio realizes great views and enhances its oceanside suburban context. Fully utilizing the site, the main living areas sits on the top 3rd floor with panoramic Pacific Ocean views looking south and west. Meanwhile, the bedrooms sit on the 2nd floor, and the service areas like garage and laundry bury into the ground floor.

Exterior facade

Exterior facade 2

The primary challenge was to “wedge” this home into a narrow complex shape of constraints and opportunities provided by the hillside site, zoning requirements and neighborhood context. These constraints resulted in a unique formal solution deploying a concrete and steel structural frame to maximize the precise responsiveness of the structure.

Coast views

Exterior facade 3

Skyline Residence solutions

Due to the complexity of the form, the architects limited the material palette to wood, cast concrete, steel, and glass. The house has a central stair that cuts up through the home with a skylight above. It allows daylight to penetrate the home and light it from within.

Custom stair detail

Central stair 1

Central stair 4

Indoor outdoor spot

Environmentally, the home is cooled passively by ocean breezes, lit evenly during the day by daylight, and Ipe wood screens minimize sun load on the large view windows.

Outdoor detail

Deck

Outdoor transition

The benign climate encourages an indoor-outdoor living style, and the home flows onto strategically placed outdoor patios for outdoor living. Every square foot of this small site is used as a living area, whether indoors or out.

Central stair 3

Kitchen

Stair detail 2

Central stair 2

The client, an industrial designer with a young family, desired a thorough design process and carefully detailed design. He came to ShubinDonaldson studio knowing that their design values were in sync and this stunning home is the result of a very productive and satisfying client/architect relationship.

Photography by Jeremy Bittermann