Monterey Residence / Forward Design Office

California-based Forward Design Office shared with us their design for a Monterey Residence in California. More images and architect’s description after the break.

The Monterey Residence reinterprets traditional hacienda architecture to create a contemporary design focused around an inner courtyard. The client’s concern for privacy, desire for an ocean view and performance requirements drive the aesthetic and organization of the residence.

Three bands inform the organization of the house, reflected in the fluid exterior surfaces. The roof and the relationship of the building to the ground plane represent the upper and lowers bands respectively. The exterior perforated skin meets to create a pronounced edge that visually represents the middle band, delineating program separation and occupant circulation. The private program is encompassed between the upper and middle bands, while the public program occupies the space between middle and lower, essentially transitioning the house from public and private. A perforated landscape and building skin connects to all the void spaces while hardscape extends from the inside out surrounding a courtyard swimming pool, blurring the boundaries between public and private program.

The house’s streamlined geometry aesthetically indicates the house’s optimal performance-based design, accentuating its integrated passive, mechanical, and sustainable strategies. A green roof, photovoltaic system, and gradient perforated skin assist the house’s passive cooling and heating system and natural ventilation while maintaining a fluid form and eased relationship with the site.