Provence in Hope Ranch

The owners wanted to have a house that reminded them of their favorite places in Provence in France but, in this case, on a site with a 360 degree view of the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains. The result is a two story house, with two tall stair towers that anchor the oblique geometries of the plan.  Though by no means a small house, the layout actually makes the house seem even larger and grander than it is. The entrance actually appears to be taken more from a French castle than a house: the visitor passes through a vaulted tunnel that opens onto a completely enclosed courtyard where the front door, past a central fountain, is on the opposite side. The thick walls are updated versions of the plaster covered stone walls of Europe: environmentally friendly slabs of concrete mixed with insulation, which can be cut easily with a chain saw, are quickly cemented around steel reinforcing bars and are ready almost immediately for finishes.

Location
Santa Barbara, California

Landscape Design By
Eric Nagelmann

Interior Design By
Randy Franks

Construction By
Fahrenkrug Construction

Photography By
Jim Bartsch