Otter Cove Residence by Sagan Piechota Architecture

San Francisco-based studio Sagan Piechota Architecture has designed the Otter Cove residence.

Completed in 2008, this contemporary two story home is located in Carmel, California, USA.

Otter Cove Residence by Sagan Piechota Architecture:

“Perched atop a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, this Carmel residence strives to appear as a natural extension of the landscape while resolving competing private and public concerns.

A language of fluid lines was adopted to respond to the boundary conditions of the site. The s-curve in the western wing of the plan increased the effective view potential while positioning rooms according to their needs for privacy, the oceanfront bedrooms orienting away from public spaces.

The large area of the house was disguised by splitting the house into two wings — recessing the house into the site and locating nearly half of the space partially underground. The plan-split created a courtyard, the eastern wing providing privacy from Highway One and the western wing buffering the ocean wind. Secondary spaces are located on the lower floor and borrow light from above through three staircases. These spaces provide respite from the panoramic drama on the upper floor.

Roofs are visually pulled apart from the walls creating the affect of lightness and lift. This lift affords long horizontal views to the hills east without sacrificing privacy. It also balances light minimizing glare off the ocean, while creating opportunities for high operable windows encouraging cross ventilation.

Walls are located only where absolutely necessary for privacy or structure and treated as monolithic elements. Stone cladding predominates, rooting the house in the site and visually connecting with the rocky cove.”