Sea Ranch, Condominium 1

Sea Ranch, Phase 1
Excellent

Sea Ranch, Condominium 1

Site overview

Condominium 1, designed by Charles W. Moore, Donlyn Lyndon, William Turnbull, Jr., and Richard Whitaker (MLTW) between 1963 and 1964, is a heavy timber-frame building wrapped in redwood siding to reflect the regional context on the California coast. Its large, complex form rises from the cliff edge along the slope of an upward-rising hill, terminating in a pair of towers at the crest that mark this place in the landscape. The residential building, one among a collection of Modernist buildings on the property, was hugely influential in demonstrating how to build in harmony with the landscape by borrowing from local vernacular forms and native materials. Architecture historian David Gebhard called it "the California architectural monument of the 1960s.”

Sea Ranch, Condominium 1

Site overview

Condominium 1, designed by Charles W. Moore, Donlyn Lyndon, William Turnbull, Jr., and Richard Whitaker (MLTW) between 1963 and 1964, is a heavy timber-frame building wrapped in redwood siding to reflect the regional context on the California coast. Its large, complex form rises from the cliff edge along the slope of an upward-rising hill, terminating in a pair of towers at the crest that mark this place in the landscape. The residential building, one among a collection of Modernist buildings on the property, was hugely influential in demonstrating how to build in harmony with the landscape by borrowing from local vernacular forms and native materials. Architecture historian David Gebhard called it "the California architectural monument of the 1960s.”

Primary classification

Residential (RES)

Terms of protection

Sonoma County Historic Landmark

Designations

U.S. National Register of Historic Places, listed on July 29, 2005 | Sonoma County Historic Landmark #108, designated in 1981

Author(s)

| | 2/1997
| | 6/1998

How to Visit

Private residential community; audio walking tours available online

Location

Highway 1
The Sea Ranch, CA, 95497

Country

US
More visitation information

Designer(s)

Other designers

Lawrence Halprin & Associates, landscape architectMoore, Lyndon, Turnbull, Whitaker, architect-condominiumsJoseph Esherick, architect-single-family residential

Related News

Related chapter

Northern California

Related Sites

Commission

1961

Completion

1966

Commission / Completion details

Commission 1961(e), completion 1966(e) onwards

Others associated with Building/Site

Dick Reynolds, Geographer and Ecologist; Matt Silva, builder

Current Use

Private residential community

Current Condition

Excellent overall.

General Assessment

The Sea Ranch Phase I represented a unique collaboration between developer, landscape architect/planner, and architects. The development goals were to build a vacation home community along 10 miles of the Pacific coast based on ecological principles of design and to live lightly on the land. What resulted was a unique symbiosis of architecture and the powerful natural landscape, instant national and international recognition, and a long list of environmental and architectural awards. The site planning and architecture were inspired by the existing sheep ranch structures, local vernacular architecture and the environmental factors of wind, solar patterns, and other natural aspects resulting from extensive ecological analysis. In 1991 the condominium was awarded the AIA 25-year award as a design of enduring significance that has withstood the test of time. The jury noted that Sea Ranch is profoundly conscious of the natural drama of its coastal site and has formed an alliance of architecture and nature that has inspired and captivated a generation of architects.

References

https://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp/GetAsset?assetID=c3c22936-0bc2-4622-81e9-a4c30565ba64