Whalebone
Despite the founder’s guiding principles, the passing of Proposition 20 and the creation of the CCC, the land and coast of The Sea Ranch has remained out of reach to most. Recent clarifications to Sea Ranch’s short term rental policy allow two aspiring homeowners to take equitable access into their own hands.
How providing opportunity for diversity and public access through modest-sized homes built and rented affordably can pave the way for a truly non-elitist culture.
A writer and a scientist sharing a common appreciation for the beauty and solitude of the Sonoma Coast, dreamed of someday having a place of their own to read, to write, to rest, to host, and to share with others having similar longings.
They married in The Sea Ranch chapel and spent their summers exploring its neighborhoods, each time boarding in a different home, discovering the unique design decisions each architect had made to suit the site and the homeowners.
Over years of immersing themselves in The Sea Ranch, the couple realized that a sense of belonging in this exclusive community shouldn’t have to be earned; it ought to be shared. When property ownership became a reality, they were determined to approach the project with a mind of inclusivity. How could their home embrace those who’ve not had access to this pristine stretch of the coast and who’ve not experienced the sense of leisure they’ve become accustomed to?
This mission set the writer and the scientist down a path of design decisions that would lead them to a humble 1,000 sq ft cottage. It is sized for two but fits a family, restful but built for hosting, unassuming but carefully packaged with each of the experiences the couple enjoyed in a coastal retreat.
The home would be curated to encourage a variety of activities introducing its visitors to the land and the lifestyle of The Sea Ranch… Awake to a peaceful gaze through layers of fog on the distant forested hills. Take a bike out for a morning ride. Hike down the bluff and collect seashells. Meditate on the day’s discoveries while turning pottery. Arrange a beautifully set table. Enjoy cooking a meal for friends. Gaze at the stars lying on a hot stone slab beside the warmth of the fire.
Design Challenge
A writer and a scientist sharing a common appreciation for the beauty and solitude of the Sonoma Coast, dreamed of someday having a place of their own to read, to write, to rest, to host, and to share with others having similar longings. Over years of immersing themselves in The Sea Ranch, the couple realized that a sense of belonging in this exclusive community shouldn’t have to be earned; it ought to be shared.
To many, following The Sea Ranch’s principles for design excellence and pushing the envelope of environmental stewardship and wildfire resistance may be in conflict with the affordability and simplicity required to provide access to a range of incomes, but the writer and scientist persisted in their mission to balance beauty, sustainability, programmatic density, and accessibility.
The thousand square foot home is smaller than many ADUs, yet it sleeps two couples or a small family, offers a workshop for pottery and writing, boasts a chef’s kitchen, and hosts a 6-person gathering starting with tea in the ocean-facing living room, moving to dinner at the fireside table, completed by stargazing on a hot stone slab aside the hot tub.
The well-equipped bathroom and outdoor amenities coupled with the sounds of the ocean and the soft salty air support the repose of a wellness retreat.
The creative doubling of the entry as a guest sleeping loft, elimination of excess circulation and use of furniture as architecture to house activities efficiently, creates a compact, affordable vacation for a diverse audience, all of which deserve access to Northern California’s beautiful coastline.Physical Context
Set between a babbling seasonal creek with protected riparian vegetation and an eastern home’s protected view corridor, the unadorned rectangle was cinched in tightly and oriented toward a broad view of the ocean and away from the sounds of the highway. Clerestory windows conceal neighboring homes while floor to ceiling windows expose private spaces to the protected landscape.
The Sea Ranch community, known for design excellence, sustainability and environmental stewardship, is also known for exclusivity. The 79% Non-Hispanic White community has a median property value of $1.1m, an average income of $92K, and a median age of 68 years. One of the largest coastal single-family residential communities in California, it serves a privileged community with restrictive short term rental rules that limit access to others.
