Located in the Point Loma neighborhood of San Diego, California is the coastal community of Sunset Cliffs. With its rugged coastline and panoramic views, this area is popular with surfers, ocean-gazers, and folks who like to cruise Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, which runs the length of the cliffs. San Diego-based architect, Greg Coleman, was chosen by the owners of a property dubbed Sunset Cliffs, to design a new home for them overlooking the Pacific. “This project is a new-build custom home on the beach in San Diego, California. The existing house on the site was razed but the mature trees and landscaping on the beachside of the property were kept to both frame and ground the new structure.” Coleman goes on to explain, “The direction from the client was to create a home that prioritized the views of the ocean with large outdoor living areas to take advantage of the great year-round weather in San Diego.”

Using a mix of materials, including stucco, tile, metal, and wood to accentuate the vertical and horizontal lines of this two-story modern residence, Coleman’s design blends beautifully with the area’s cliffs and Pacific shoreline. The home has been likened by some to a treehouse given its combination of the three mature New Zealand Christmas trees flanking the home on either side and the floating slatted wood box, housing the second-floor deck off the principal bedroom. The wood slats added to the deck help screen the view of the neighboring houses. This deck provides a connection to the east-facing courtyard, which can be used during the winter months because it is protected from the cold onshore winds.

Facing west, the center of the home opens up to provide ocean views from the courtyard and pool. The owners wanted a simple and durable material palette throughout their home, so they chose polished concrete floors, custom wood cabinetry, engineered quartz counters in the kitchen, and cement tile floors and concrete walls in the bathrooms. Large windows in virtually every room in the house allow for spectacular views of this picturesque corner of San Diego.

For more unique architecture, check out Tinderbox House, a Tasmanian retreat.