Garrapata TBD Unbuilt

Project

Project Details

This home is a return for the studio; the family retreat was originally designed by Mary Ann Schicketanz in 1996 and burned to the ground in the 2016 Soberanes fire.

With the rebuild, the team stayed true to the original foot and design idea, but opted for a materials palette that could suit the needs of the rugged property, while still remaining light and modern and responsive to its beautiful Twin Peaks surroundings. They have designed the new house in concrete.

The home is grounded by a rich tactility that is itself rooted deep inside the walls of the structure; a concrete sandwich wall construction, which places thermal insulation inside the wall, is what allows for exposed board-formed concrete on both interior and exterior surfaces. Juxtaposed with the textured concrete is a light, steel structure encasing the screened-in porch. The two together— the concrete and steel web— give to the project its delicate balance of resilience, energy performance, and transparency that help it work both as an off-the-grid Big Sur residence and as a stunning showcase for the views that surround it.