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A California House in Toro Canyon Captures the Sky Views

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This staggering view has been brilliantly framed by just concrete and glass and metal, as photographed here for architects Shubin and Donaldson by Ciro Coelho.

The view that is framed is as much of the limitless sky as it is about the Pacific Ocean, and as much about the earth materials (concrete, glass and metal) as about sky and sea.

The house hugs close to the steep hillside site, and cool metal roofing is used both for fire safety and for energy efficiency. Care was taken to keep the roofs free of vents and other visual obstructions that would ruin the clean lines of the view as you approach the house.

The structure is built to withstand the flames of wildfires, because of the need for protection from California’s “very high fire area”.

Exquisite detailing is evident in the sleek completion on the corrugated metal roof, balanced and harmonious with glass and concrete. The client for this project was also an architect and worked collaboratively on the project with Shubin and Donaldson.

The entry is almost like a retail store entry – Starfire glass beams were installed for the entry piece constructed entirely from glass and metal.

The public living spaces are to the left and the private rooms of the house to the right. The house was constructed of poured-in-place concrete walls with construction by Paul Franz Construction, a local contractor the architects have enjoyed working with on previous projects.

Behind the living room, the kitchen also has a view out of the same gigantic windows beyond. Here too the thoughtful attention to detailing is evident in the clean finish to the stainless steel surfaces.

The bedroom is as stupefied by the view as the living room. The bed is to the right.

To get to the site, there is a long sequence of arrival as one travels up through the canyon.

At an extravagant 7,500 square feet, the house is hardly green. But another way of looking at green design is not having to replace buildings over and over and over.

Such a simple concrete structure might last for centuries.