Located atop a mountain with distant views of the Channel Islands off the Santa Barbara coast, these​ buildings attempt to take a differential attitude to beautify the immediate landscape and the profundity​ of the panoramic views. Envisioned as a series of horizontal planes nestled into the hillside to create​ shelter while maximizing the view and exposure to the ocean and city views below. The earthen roofs​ allow the structures to nearly disappear as one approaches them from above, only to slowly reveal​ themselves as a series of eroded masses nestled within the confines of the hillside.

The singularly​ expressive moment defines the primary entry point of the home whereby the erosion of the masses​ is most pronounced, and what remains is the soaring horizontal element defining the entry but not​ yet giving way to interior space. ​This blurring of interior and exterior space further belies the​ conventional approach to a site with such stunning vistas. The building asks for them to be patient,​ introducing instead dramatic framed views of the sky, curated courtyards, and intimate inward-looking​ gardens. Ultimately, ​the grand view is revealed as one descends to the primary living space. However,​ instead of creating the disconnected view of nature so often found in contemporary designs, the​ distant​view is ​c​complemented by the proximity to nature through an internal courtyard nestled into the​ hillside, creating a curated physical connection to the natural elements.