Architecture Wednesday: Rooms With A View

To change up an old saying: A picture is worth thousand dollars, but a hundred-plus windows is worth multi-millions of dollars.

This stunning California coastal home panoramic ocean-and-canyon views that stretch from Catalina Island to Santa Monica bay. And, though the house it ultra-modern, the surrounding green-and-beach landscapes more than make up for any cold or impersonal feelings the structure alone might impart.

Architect Steven Kent is well known on the West Coast for making modernism more palatable by mixing concrete, wood, white paint and other elements to keep simple from seeming boring. A steep slope drops off on the downhill, ocean, side of the home, but a curved retaining wall before the sloping starts makes it almost seem as if you could spin the whole house on its axis to find the best vistas--or shift the entire structure to take advantage of the sun throughout the day.

The backside of the exterior is almost modest and certainly not the emphasis in the design. Every room, deck and patio possible thrusts out over the cliff edge--from bedrooms and bathrooms to the main, multi-story living room volume at the heart of the open plan. In fact, other aside from this core theme the spaces are surprisingly conventional--but then again, why make them interesting when it could detract from the amazing views? And there are more than 100 windows in this home!

source: dornob