Abalone Bay

Perched on a Bluff: Romantic Oceanview Home in Sight of Seals & Whales.
Winter rates now available through June: Up to 2 FREE nights. Plus Join our Inner Circle to be eligible for a limited offer: 2 tickets to the San Francisco Museum of Art~ just in for their special Sea Ranch Architecture Exhibit!
Contact me to learn more: searanchabalonebay.com/con...

Imagine stepping from the cool night air into the warm bubbles of your private hot tub. A glass of local wine or a mug of craft beer (you pick!) sits beside you – a tasty memoir of your recent jaunt through Sonoma wine country. As you relax into the soothing water, you glance up at the inky sky, where an eruption of constellations twinkles back at you. It's paradise.

Welcome to an oceanfront retreat perched atop a scenic bluff. Welcome to a place where whales breach in the bay, deer eat out of your hand and seals sun themselves on rocks – to a cozy retreat just a short drive from the gastronomic delights of Mendonoma (Sonoma/Mendocino) and the bustle of San Francisco. Welcome to our dog-friendly home-away-from-home in lovely Sea Ranch, California. Welcome to Abalone Bay.

Abalone Bay is both elegant and inviting, seamlessly blending unparalleled ocean views and fine finishes with the comforts of home. Step into our home, and you'll feel instantly at peace: in every room, picture windows invite the outside in. The classic Sea Ranch home's outline follows with the onshore breezes. The entire's vaulted ceilings and beams give the feeling you are standing in the midst of a redwood grove. The gourmet kitchen beckons. Adirondack chairs await on the oceanview terrace, and a private courtyard offers direct access to picturesque bluff trails.

Special Winter rates are available now through June. Join our Inner Circle to be eligible for a limited offer: 2 tickets to the San Francisco Museum of Art~ just in time for their special Sea Ranch Architecture Exhibit! Contact me to learn more.

Original Architect:
John Sergio Fisher, AIA
John Sergio Fisher & Associates, Inc.
5567 Reseda Blvd., Ste. 209
Los Angeles, CA 91356
Tel: 818.344.3045
Fax: 818.344.0338
jfisher@jsfarchs.com
jsfarchs.com
www.facebook.com/Joh...

Our Paths Cross

Abalone Bay is one of three homes designed by John Fisher in the early to mid-'80's. We purchased our home in 2013 while we were residing in Santiago, Chile. Then, three years later, in 2016 I reached out to him. Sergio, his preferred name, and I chatted via email. I was eager to learn more about our little jewel on the coast and its creator. I discovered that Sergio designed two other homes besides ours at Sea Ranch. One of those received the 1980 “Sea Ranch Association Community Design Award.”

Sergio shared that he too visited Santiago just about the same time as we purchased Abalone Bay. He explained that while he had designed homes at Sea Ranch, his first love was that of the theatre. In fact, at the time he was in Santiago, he was the Theatre Consultant to Renzo Zecchetto for the 900 seat performing arts center in Santiago, Chile with fully motorized rigging by J.R. Clancy. Construction finished in August of 2014. I can personally attest it is a marvelous structure having attended many events there.

Sea Ranch Abalone Bay Where Life is a Stage

Sergio's penchant for theatrical design is noticeable in the design of our home. Stand in the proscenium that forms our dining area, and you at once become the central character in a play not only orchestrated by nature but also housed by it. Classic redwood beams meet vaulted ceilings that thrust upwards to the sky. Two long windows become the curtains concealing nature's actors tucked away off-stage right. The living space becomes the orchestra pit where families nestle together to create the music of memories. Beyond the forth wall the audience comprised of whales to the back of the house while deer, quail, bobcats and stately herons vie for front row seating.

Was It Destiny?

What connected me even more to our architect, was learning about his time as Dean of Syracuse University's School of Architecture. I have always been a strong advocate for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities. In fact, my doctorate is in special education. I soon discovered that Sergio felt the same.

ANSI and the ADA

During his tenure at Syracuse, he supervised the writing of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards for accessibility. ANSI is a nongovernmental national organization that publishes a wide variety of recommended standards. ANSI's standards for barrier-free design are developed by a committee made up of 52 organizations representing associations of handicapped people, rehabilitation professionals, design professionals, builders, and manufacturers. The standards, which are called ANSI Al17.1, "Specifications for Making Buildings and Facilities Accessible to, and Usable by, Physically Handicapped People," were developed using the consensus process.

The original ANSI A117.1, adopted in 1961, formed the technical basis for the first accessibility standards adopted by the federal government and most state governments. The current edition, ANSI A117.1-1980, is based on research funded by HUD. It has generally been accepted by the private sector and has been recommended for use in model state and local building codes by the Council of American Building Officials.

Sergio's incentive in its writing was the result of guiding his mother who had Mulitple Sclerosis, in a wheelchair. That experience with all the obstacles encountered as they tried to access their community was instrumental in the development of standards for the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Steve Brodie- Brodie Architecture and Design
Courtyard Addition

In 2013 Steve Brodie of Brodie Architecture and Design added a private courtyard with entry and back deck, hot tub, native garden, a rack for diving equipment was added. Views to the ocean from the courtyard, especially in the line of sight from the hot tub were accomplished by using a sliding barn gate with reverse barn door design.

Obie G. Bowman -Architect, FAIA
Garage addition, House renovation
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707 433 7833
www.obiebowman.com

Currently, Obie is working on remodel and addition to Abalone Bay. We plan to add a two-car garage as well as other interior changes. The sawtooth roof forms make this project particularly challenging. As we get underway, I'll add photos.