The creation of a structure on this highly visible hilltop site presented a challenge that resulted in the sculpting of a highly articulated silhouette to accommodate axial living functions while capturing a 360-degree viewscape. This structure mitigates the intense sun and wind patterns by orientation and courtyard footprint, while taking advantage of its south solar orientation.
The constructed form capitalizes on its hilltop vistas by functioning as a series of pavilions oriented to distant views. Glass walls lend transparency to the home, allowing patterns of landscape and light to be enjoyed within the structure. Limestone-clad sentinels capped with glass clerestories illuminate the interior passageways. A material pallet of limestone, steel, copper, plaster and glass articulate the forms that crown the hill. The sentinels reference the strength of trees and lighthouses found on the coastal plain. A series of pools bisect the interior living space and disappear with an infinity edge toward the ocean.
B3 Architects:
Barry A. Berkus, A.I.A., is the founder and President of B3 Architects and Berkus Design Studio. He has been featured in USA Today, Money, Architectural Record, Progressive Architecture, Art News, and Architectural Digest, which named him one of the world’s ‘top 100 architects’.
B3 Architects 1222 State Street, Suite 250
Santa Barbara, California 93101
805 – 966 – 1547
Photos Assassi Productions