Home Vacation in Big Sur, California

It is impossible to ignore the nature of Big Sur. “Many flowers purple gems on the path of a dynamic flow, as illustrated by Blake sought a channel budding titanic cliffs that Wordsworth … Eden said in his own Sublime, great yellow sun floats covered with fog in the horizon ocean planet, “wrote the poet Allen Ginsberg on the location on the central coast of California.

But what makes the region so attractive to her sea-redwood forests, rocks, and access also allows for the design challenge, a fact to which most owners see in their blind haste to a happy where the waves create remain. “Most people are not here in Big Sur grow. Everything to do what they want to do is watch the ocean,” said Mary Ann Schicketanz architectural firm of Caramel Carver & Schicketanz, with more a hint of desperation. “They are not familiar with the problems in building on the waterfront, such as glare and high winds. There are many restrictions on the ground, we’re on the clients. ”

This was the case in Venice, Calif., and author Langka Treadwell and her husband, Zach, who is also editor and film producer, to build a property in Big Sur & Carver bought and rented them an apartment Schicketanz. Although Langka Treadwell said that the environment, are committed, “his first thought was not to build a green house. On the contrary, through discussions with the architects, whose practices have been integrated on the desire to be “the least disruptive to the landscape as possible” and develops a better understanding of the constraints of location, sustainable choices easy. In addition to the basic restrictions and other green building of the notoriously difficult California Coastal Commission and local zero growth policy construction limited to a small piece of land of 70 hectares of Treadwell. ”

To cut working within these parameters, Carter & Schicketanz a wedge into the slope, then took over the house of the retaining wall against the strip of open land. The result is that, unlike many of the region where, as Schicketanz says: “You see, water tanks littering the landscape” all utilities in the house are underground, hidden, there including propane tanks, sewage system and water tank.

From the street, the house like a bullet in the undulating green landscape, a visual inspection of the green roof improves swoosh, to match the surrounding two acres of native grasses that the architect planted on the site, the more invasive coyote brush, replace the front. “We always try to keep control of landscape design, and we hope our customers appreciation enough for them so they do not accept the pots of geraniums into the house,” says Schicketanz. “Often people minute here, they want to Mulberry Bush or the palm of a redwood or oak growing plants really here. We have the landscape around the house at 100 percent local, and only a planter with delicious citrus and their pot, so to speak. ”

In the house 1900 square feet, a wall of windows of the apartment opens onto the ocean. Much of the design is the family home and comfortable temperate centered. solar gain through the glass keeps Treadwell’s hot, and to obtain additional heat is collected through the limestone soils. When the house is stuffy, take the windows facing east and west of the benefit of the region, strong winds and open air can circulate. Concrete countertops will also maintain an even temperature, and reclaimed wood fireplace provides extra heat.

Despite being far from shopping malls and cinemas, the region offers great opportunities for entertainment ready for a family of four children aged nine months to six years old range. “You can not get bored here,” said Langka. “Children love to bathe in the spa, we are going to the beach and fill bags of shells and stones, and tidal pools are spectacular.” She pauses, then thoughtfully concluded: “. I’ve been all over the world, and when I come back here, I realize that the Pacific Ocean as seen from the cliffs of the best views on earth “