Carmel Valley II / Embodying the owner’s love for modern ranch house architecture, this innovative home, designed with Feldman Architecture, sits lightly on the land and connects outwards to the Santa Lucia Preserve’s landscape. The structure was situated at the lowest point between surrounding hills so that it would be as visually inconspicuous as possible. Rammed earth walls, built using earth excavated from the site, define edges of the patio and drive. Within the outdoor living spaces surrounding the buildings, native plants are combined with succulents and ornamentals to contrast with the open grassland and provide a rich setting for entertaining, while garden areas to the south are stepped and allowed to erode on the edges, blending into the hillside. Sitting prominently adjacent to the home, three tanks collect stormwater for use in irrigating plants and, if needed, fire suppression. This was the first custom home in Central California to receive LEED® Platinum certification.

Client: Private client 
Location: Santa Lucia Preserve, Carmel Valley, CA
Dates: 2006-2010
Size: parcel = 33.1 acres, homeland = 2.8 acres
Architect: Feldman Architecture
Contractor: Groza Construction
Water Consultant: Earthcraft Landscape Design
Recognition: LEED® Platinum, U.S. Green Building Council
Grand Award for Custom Homes less than 3,500 s.f., Builder Magazine, Citation Award for Energy + Sustainability, AIA San Francisco

Photo: Joe Fletcher

Photo: Joe Fletcher