Residential · Big Sur, US
Vantage House
- Location
- Big Sur, US
- Completed
- 2022
- Area
- 430 m²
- Type
- Residential
/ The brief
A retired couple wanted to watch the ocean from every room, but on a cliff battered by wind and salt, and without the house becoming another glass box on the coast.
/ Our approach
Instead of a wall of glass, the house offers a sequence of framed views: a slot at the breakfast table that catches the sunrise on the headland, a corner window over the bath that looks straight down at the surf.
The concrete shell is anchored to bedrock and shaped to shed the prevailing wind, so the terraces on the lee side stay calm on all but the stormiest days.
/ Material palette
- 01Pigmented concrete
- 02Western red cedar
- 03Marine-grade bronze
- 04Slate
/ Project details
- Programme
- Private residence, 3 bedrooms
- Site
- Coastal cliff, 40 m above the sea
- Approvals
- California Coastal Commission
- Recognition
- International Architecture Award 2024
“Umbra didn't just design a house for us; they crafted an instrument for living. The way it frames the landscape and orchestrates light through the day is nothing short of profound.”— James & Ruth Calloway, Owners, Vantage House
/ Planning something similar?
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