Marine, CA

The site is a hilltop, approached from the east, with distant western views of the Pacific Ocean across the rolling hills. Two bars in an L shape form a courtyard on top of the hill. A stair leads up to this plinth, and the garage is dug in below. The living bar is open, sheathed in glass; the sleeping bar is closed, clad in zinc. Lateral walls contain the services and organize the functions inside the bars. The transparent bar provides both windbreak and frame, protecting the court from the ocean winds and presenting the view. The glass divides at the line of the distant horizon: clear glass below looks at the hills; channel glass above refracts the light of the sky. The court opens to the south, gathering sunlight; its length is measured by a lap pool. A bridge through a grove of oak trees links the two bars, forming a small private court. This space connects to the master suite above with a spiral stair.

A two-story guest loft terminates the bedroom bar. Its lower level doubles as the changing area for the pool.