This custom organic modern 3-story home in Laguna Beach, California, was built in 2010. The property is uphill above the street with a lot of exposure. There were many challenges in the design and construction of this house.

 

The biggest challenge architecturally was to minimize the appearance of mass and scale from the street. The idea was for to create a cave-like garage, turning it sideways and burying it nearly underground, with a landscaped roof.  As a result, the lower level disappears, along with the garage, and a usable yard on top of the garage is created where there was none before. 

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To take advantage of the views, the great room area needed to be on the highest level, requiring a long exterior stair. We designed the stair to meander around the side of the house, then double back to arrive at a dramatic cantilevered entry terrace. Thus a visitor has a journey on the way to the entry, climaxing with a sudden burst if spectacular views at the summit.

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The recessed lights over the great room are arranged in a random pattern to suggest stars.

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