Located in the coastal community of Dana Point, California, and designed by Horst Architects, The Strand an AIA award winning residence brings together glass, steel and Portuguese Limestone in a geometric composition of modern principles within a complex network of texture, light and sound. The Strand quietly engages your senses through the four elements of earth, fire, air and water.
The luxurious setting within the central courtyard overlooking the ocean is barely hinted at from the street. Here, a private and contained facade continues the geometric principles but does so in a far more restrained manner.
The facade of the home is literally split into a closed and private half and an engaging and welcoming half. The two opposing volumes are literally sliced by a concrete privacy wall.
Inside the home, a stunning stairwell is framed with a tempered glass balustrade that continues the story of light reflection and shadow art that prevails within the courtyard. The Minimalist structure of steel beams and white limestone walls are offset with small moments of red whether through a small geometric stool or through a flower sprouting from an indoor plant. These moments of colour create a sense of perspective and scale.
The use of red to create a visual connection between different zones is used throughout the home and is even featured in the courtyard. Here, in the lower courtyard, a small red table creates a visual connection to a larger red outdoor ottoman in the distance. While red is a bold colour, it does not detract from the brilliant blues within the pool nor from the soft shades of the interior/exterior fireplace designed by Contempo.
Whichever level the homeowner or their visitors decide to spend time on, the architect made sure the views of the ocean played an important role and the connectivity he created with the overlapping pool system instils a sense of well being that can be participated in through the concrete walking platforms, the fire bowl perched on one of the extended platforms, or even via the sound of the spouts of bubbling water within the pool itself. While the home exposes itself to these elements, it also retains its privacy with carefully planned glazings and wall planes.
Horst Architects
