The “Whale House”, as it came to be known upon completion in 1978, was designed by Michael Carmichael, (architect of the previously featured “Wave House”.) This truly incredible artistic creation was inspired by turn of the century Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, whose nature-based organic style started the famous Catalan Modernista movement in Barcelona. Much like Gaudi, the only way Carmichael’s initial concept could materialize was to free-form nearly every aspect of the home with it’s natural surroundings. Consequently, there are no straight lines, no flat walls and a highly unconventional floor plan. The result is one of the most inspiring residential artistic creations on the west coast.
Here is an exerpt from the February 1994 LA Times article on Michael Carmichael’s ‘Whale House’:
Santa Barbara’s Whale House, easily one of the most unusual anywhere, is a work of housing art that took engineer/developer Michael Carmichael and a crew of 20 workers three years to build.When he looked around his wooded one-acre lot in Mission Canyon, Carmichael wondered how he could design a house without destroying the natural beauty of the site.
This home is currently listed at $1,795,000 with Lorie Bartron of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. If you have any questions regarding this home or others like it in the greater Santa Barbara area contact Josiah Hamilton at 805.284.8835 or email Josiah@TheHamiltonCo.com.
