Coastal California Dwelling Crafted for Surf-Loving Family
News Article: Surf House in Santa Cruz Embraces Beach Living
In the heart of Santa Cruz, California, a unique home known as the Surf House has captured the essence of coastal living, blending a laid-back, bohemian lifestyle with high design and local materiality. Designed by Feldman Architecture, Commune Design, and Ground Studio landscaping, this two-story pavilion with glass walls and a flat roof offers a refreshing take on modern architecture.
The Surf House, completed in 2019, is a 4,500 square-foot abode perched on a bluff above Santa Cruz's most popular surf break. Its design philosophy centers on a barefoot-casual, beach-inspired lifestyle, reflecting the identity of a local professor who surfs. The home is designed to embody comfort, natural integration, and a relaxed, lived-in feel, with plenty of spaces for books, musical instruments, and original California artworks.
The modern yet warm architectural style of the Surf House emphasizes natural materials and seamless indoor-outdoor transitions. Evan Shiveley of Arborica provided the locally sourced timber for the home, which will weather into a gray hue over the years. Monterey cypress, a native species along the central and northern coast of California, is used for both the interiors and the exterior of the home. The interiors feature a clean, contemporary aesthetic, with the Monterey cypress wood adding a warm, rustic touch.
The landscaping by Ground Studio further enhances the natural integration, creating a landscape design that works in harmony with the local ecology and the relaxed beach atmosphere. The property features a spacious courtyard for year-round relaxing and entertaining, protected from the wind, and a hot tub, stainless-steel outdoor kitchen, and grilling area, as well as a fire pit on a graveled patio closer to the bluff's edge.
Sustainability was an important factor in the construction of the Surf House. Arborica, the company that provided the timber, reclaims and repurposes native Californian timber, contributing to the home's eco-friendly credentials. The property is subject to year-round winds and has a geologic setback requirement limiting the building envelope, but these challenges have been skillfully addressed in the design.
In summary, the Surf House offers casual oceanfront living through a lens of high design and local materiality. Its design philosophy, materials, and landscaping all work together to create a home that embodies a relaxed, culturally rich, and nature-integrated lifestyle centered on surfing and scholarly pursuits.
This surf house in Santa Cruz, designed with a focus on beach living, reflects a home-and-garden aesthetic that seamlessly integrates with the coastal environment. The natural materials and landscape design by Ground Studio not only enhance the home's eco-friendliness but also contribute to creating a lifestyle that embraces a relaxed, warm, and culturally rich atmosphere.
