Livingrooms

The kitchen seamlessly connects the dining area to the living room.

An abundance of windows brings the outdoors in, which was a leading priority of the project.

Ten-feet-high ceilings in the newly built extension accentuate the renovation's levity.

The new back section reveals itself in layers, extending all the way through to the garden, where the kids – and dog! – can play safely.

A view of the main living room, which to one side is nestled against the trees and to the other side enjoys expansive views of the vineyard.

This painting was just intended to be a placeholder in the mock up, but the homeowners loved it so much they commissioned an identical one.

Inside the 1,930-square-foot structure, which is their full-time residence, con-crete floors and pale woods mimic the outdoor palette. A sliding glass wall from Fleetwood opens to an expansive patio and perfect sunset views.

Ray sits at the central hearth on the north end of the comfortable sunken living area. From this perspective, you can see how the interior spaces flow into one another, passing one half-level up into the breakfast nook and kitchen and out from there onto the overgrown hillside. The various built-in furnishings have all been there since the house's construction.

Cohen and his wife, Sally, sit in the dining room, which along with the connected living room, is a focal point of the house, lighted in part by high, remote-controlled clerestory windows.

The "plug-and-play

The kitchen is tucked into a recess in the open-plan living space, offering visual separation from the lounge and work areas. This has the effect of making the compact space feel larger. Owner Glen Vriesema selected the dark grey finish for the kitchen, but it is also available in a white finish and natural timber. Other specification options include lighting and flooring.

The Oosterbeek Prefab, like all Manta North prefabs, is built from Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), which was chosen for its sustainability and strength. The houses are well insulated, and the facade cladding is made of thermally modified wood for durability and water resistance.

Clerestory glazing across the top of the walls to the DJ booth creates visual connection throughout the entire extension and allows light into the snug area. It also allows an appreciation of the entire roof structure, which has timber soffits that define the character of the space.

“As a practice, we are interested in honesty of materials and celebration of the tectonics of the structure,” says architect Simon Knight. “We quite like that approach and aesthetic—and that’s where the idea for the vaulted roof space came from.”

The below-grade kitchen/dining room opens to a sunken wood porch. Sliding glass doors and an operable awning window from Fleetwood provide natural cross ventilation for cooling. The site is located in a forested area but is “brighter and less sequestered than you’d expect,” says David, thanks to the surrounding Sea Ranch commons.

Sheathed in black asphalt shingles, the Sea Ranch home created by architect David Ross and artist Mark Dutcher exemplifies values espoused by the 60-year-old community: modesty, aesthetics, simplicity, and respect for the natural environment.