At approximately 15,000 square feet, the La Jolla, Calif., site wasn’t big by custom home standards. But its view laid visual claim to a spectacular swath of the Southern California coast, including downtown San Diego and the Catalina Islands. The trick for architects Drexel Patterson and Tony Crisafi was to design a house that took in as much of the view as possible.
Located on a cul-de-sac in a neighborhood with height restrictions, the lot presented as many challenges as opportunities. Though possessing one of the best views in La Jolla, it drops off in a 2:1 slope from a small, buildable pad. The first step was to lower the pad by 2 feet in order to meet the owners’ square footage requirements, comply with height limits, and position the house for the vista.
The architects topped the site with an 8,600-square-foot Modern concrete and steel house, whose low profile and curvaceous footprint let the owners enjoy all of the nearly 200-degree view. Walls of windows custom-made of laminated glass and stainless steel, including 12-foot curved-glass sliding doors, give the main interior rooms the grand sweep of vista and open up the house to a series of concrete and stone outdoor spaces.
The terraces work in concert with the floorplan and resolve the steep grade by stepping down the hillside. From the top deck the view is breathtaking and private; none of the houses below can be seen. This terrace terminates in an infinity-edge pool that seems to spill off the edge of the site but really empties into an unseen acrylic dam.
Steps down lead to an intimate outdoor eating area cradled in a circular deck. Then retaining walls and stairs descend to a cabana and lower-level guest bedrooms. These open to a water garden and deck designed to make guests feel prized and give them privacy.
Project Credits: Builder:Wardell Builders, Solana Beach, Calif.; Architect: Island Architects, La Jolla, Calif.; Landscape architect: Theresa Clark Studio, Capistrano Beach, Calif.; Pool contractor: Pacific Sun Pool and Spa, San Diego; Photographer: Jim Brady; Illustration: Rick Vitullo.
