Todd Verwers, principal of Todd Verwers Architects has designed the Sea Ranch Residence project for a Danish consul and his wife. This 1,500 square foot, two bedroom, two bath week-end retreat sits on a sloping lot which opens to spectacular downslope views over the Pacific Ocean in California, USA. The design embodies a Nordic sensibility to light, material, and lifestyle, while respecting the architectural forms and rustic materiality characteristic of the famed Sea Ranch design tradition. The primary living areas of the house are oriented toward the coast, and the design maximizes panoramic views to the ocean by providing a clear span of glass along the ocean-facing façade. The effect is profoundly ethereal, like that of “floating” above the water. Other large windows are carefully positioned along the side and rear façade walls to provide focused views from both living and sleeping areas back into the forest canopy behind the house. Panels of translucent glass provide privacy where needed while not limiting daylight.
