Coastal

Beach Haven Residence, Living Room.

Beach Haven Residence, Staircase.

Beach Haven Residence, Exterior at Twilight.

When acclaimed photographer Sergio Pucci wanted to build a home and office on his 6000+ square-foot plot of land, architect Maria Jose Trejos suggested turning shipping containers into a tropical retreat. The result is Casa Incubos, completed in 2013, it’s a beautifully designed tropical home and office for Pucci and his wife, a yoga teacher.

The home, clad in natural Australian timber, enjoys a sense of lightness thanks to slender columns that let it float over the dunes. The driveway and entry, at the rear of the building, have an understated design to build to the interior's magnificent ocean views. Firm director Phil Snowdon explains, “By creating an architectural form that draws your eye and leads you up the steep driveway, we could engage new visitors in a welcoming process that first reveals the object and then slowly reveals the main event, being the view."

The open kitchen, dining, and living area boasts high ceilings above and natural stone tiles below. Sliding glass doors lead to the outdoor patio and heated pool.

Photographer: Taggart Sorenson

Photographer: Taggart Sorenson

Photographer: Taggart Sorenson

Photographer: Taggart Sorenson

Photographer: Taggart Sorenson

Photographer: Taggart Sorenson

Reclaimed pine purlins cast shadows onto the interior. “Lighting is a way to experiment with space and design,” Grizzle says. White Sunbrella fabric panels stretching from the floor to the ceiling ridge cover LED strip lighting and a Bose sound system.

Standing-seam copper siding accentuates sections of the structure that provide shear support for the steel moment frame.

The Trues host parties in the glass-walled structure, located steps from their vacation home, or they escape to it to catch some rays and read a book. Bill reclines on cushions hidden under the reclaimed-fir floorboards that are propped up with Sugatsune hinges.

Sea Ranch master planner Lawrence Halprin envisioned an ecologically-minded community that wouldn't disturb the breathtaking natural surroundings of the coast. Charles Moore's design nestles into the land.

An outdoor patio provides the perfect setting for morning coffee or a summer get-together. The trail that connects the Sea Ranch community runs behind the house, lending it more privacy in comparison with other buildings.