DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
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42 DIGS.NET | 6.11.2021 A R C H I T E C T U R E + D E S I G N P R O F I L E | S T U D I O S C H I C K E TA N Z N ear the central coast enclave of Carmel-by-the-Sea, the flashing glass edifice of a 3,521-square-foot home offers views of sun, sky and surround. Designed by Studio Schicketanz, and set on a rural south facing site with a clearing on top of a knoll, the significantly transparent form, which is penetrated by three plaster cubes, a house is of two distinct experiences: "one open to nature, and one cozy and protected for dark evenings and stormy winter days," says the studio's Founding Principal Architect Mary Ann Schicketanz. An exploration of the building's interaction with the local land- scape, the project is at once strikingly contemporary while respect- ful of its age-old oaks and natural character. "Textured stone walls give rise to controlled cement steps that lead to a crisply modernist structure," with the "detailed geometric framing and a cantilevered roof" creating a shaded trellis that wraps the edifice, according to the studio. "Light is at play everywhere, from the dappled light that hits the stone walls to the reflection of the majestic neighboring tree along the house's expansive glass façade. The result is a uniquely vernacular modern architecture." Vital to the project was re-routing the original driveway. Now a subterranean garage, its green roof is shielded by a stone wall that leads up to the entry and transitions into the base for the home above. The residence and guesthouse is ordered around the courtyard. The project's "glass cube façade was developed with the scale and density of the surrounding oaks in mind," says Schick- etanz. "The stone walls are from the site—they were quarried during excavation—and the plaster and wood tone follow the palate of the natural surroundings." A conscious choice, meanwhile, was made to completely open public areas to the surrounding landscape and oak forest, which offers beautifully filtered light that illuminated the land with something like reverence. It's elegant and soft. "We wanted to evoke the feeling of sitting under a tree," notes Schicketanz. The natural beauty of the location, which seems still and wholly alive at the same time, gives the home an experiential quality. "The site offers a magical approach through the oak forest and the expe- rience slowly develops and unfolds when one ascends the entry stairs," Schicketanz explains. "Upon opening the front door, one can see straight across the valley to the Santa Lucia Mountains. We kept the promontory, which had been conceived for the home by the developer, open for a large central courtyard" fashioned as "an outdoor living room, which has become an essential part of the enjoy- ment of the home." Beyond the courtyard walls, the landscape was left natural, and now flourishes as such. This balance of manicured and wild landscape makes the home a product of its environment. To counterbalance the home's exposure, the studio created rooms for retreat—the kitchen, library, and bedroom wing—which "are very traditional in the way daylight enters the room," says Schicketanz. Thoughtfully edited, the interior likewise converses with environ- ment just beyond—one is an extension of the other. This profusion of natural light highlights neutral tones and finishes throughout, from the reclaimed teak flooring, to the fir ceiling, to the striking floor-to-