The site occupies a steep, windswept promontory overlooking the rocky Pacific coast. Strict coastal commission guidelines mandated low building profiles that would not interrupt views from scenic corridors or destabilize the fragile bluff ecosystem.

Bonnie Wedster envisioned a series of three low-profile pavilions organized around a protected central courtyard. By stepping the volumes down with the natural hillside contour, the residence hugs the ground plane while offering framed panoramic ocean views from every primary living space.

Massive board-formed concrete retaining walls anchor the residence into the granite bedrock. These thermal masses absorb midday solar radiation and gently radiate warmth during chilly coastal fog evenings.

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— Bonnie Wedster

Perched atop a granite promontory battered by coastal winds, the Carmel Bluff Pavilion was conceived as an anchored sanctuary. The structure combines board-formed marine concrete with Japanese Shou Sugi Ban cedar, grounding the home into the native cypress grove.

The Carmel Bluff Pavilion

When our clients purchased the property, the building envelope was severely constrained by the root-protection zones of three magnificent California valley oaks. Traditional continuous foundation trenching would have severed vital root systems and condemned the trees.

BONARCH developed a sensitive foundation strategy utilizing micro-pile pin foundations and cantilevered grade beams, essentially allowing the structure to hover lightly above the root bed without disturbing the mycorrhizal soil network.

Certified under the rigorous PHIUS standard, the home features a continuous airtight thermal envelope, continuous exterior cork insulation, and balanced Energy Recovery Ventilation (ERV) that maintains pristine indoor air quality during California wildfire seasons.

Designed around three 150-year-old protected valley oaks, this residence demonstrates that stringent Passive House envelope standards can coexist with floor-to-ceiling transparency and natural warmth.

The Marin Oak Courtyard House

Originally constructed in 1958 by a disciple of Richard Neutra, this Silver Lake residence had suffered four decades of insensitive ad-hoc partitions, dropped acoustic ceilings, and damaged millwork.

BONARCH stripped back the accumulated layers to expose the original post-and-beam structural skeleton. Seismic resistance was invisibly integrated through concealed moment frames tucked within partition walls.

Contemporary Living within Historic Boundaries

Without altering the original exterior silhouette, the interior plan was reconfigured to establish an unbroken sightline from the entrance gallery through the open chef's kitchen to the terraced hillside garden and reservoir views beyond.

Honoring the original post-and-beam structural grid while introducing seismic reinforcement, thermal envelope modernization, and an open kitchen connecting directly to a restored terraced garden.

Selected Residential Works

The Carmel Bluff Pavilion

The Marin Oak Courtyard House

Silver Lake Mid-Century Revival