A college professor wanted to build a new home on his small infill lot near the beach. He loved his funky but charming neighborhood of ten years but desired a light-filled sanctuary within the intense urban environment, a peaceful place to read, think, and entertain close friends and family.
He would invest his nest egg in a duplex, rent out the lower unit as an income property and live above it, lifting himself off the noisy street.
An external stair leads up to the main entrance, opening to a great room with open kitchen and a double-height volume at the front.
Floor to ceiling windows slide open to a deck with plantings to soften and screen the street view. From inside the living space, the view is of sky and greenery.
A library-study on the mezzanine overlooks the living area and deck.
The rest of the second floor is devoted to the master suite.
The bedroom opens to a walled-in open-air meditation deck. The client can step outside, look up at the sky and smell the sea.
A deliberately simple palette includes white and dark plaster and wood cabinets and floors to emphasize the architecture’s tranquil framing of gardens and sky.
