The Carmel Bluff Pavilion
A low-slung concrete and charred cedar residence cantilevering toward the Pacific horizon.
Architectural Data
- Lead Architect
- Bonnie Wedster, (Principal)
- Structural Engineer
- Pacific Structural Consultants
- Landscape Architect
- Terra Firma Ecological Design
- General Contractor
- Benchmark Custom Builders
- Energy & Sustainability
- Net Zero Ready / 12kW Solar Integration
- Board-Formed White Concrete
- Charred Shou Sugi Ban Cypress
- Floor-to-Ceiling Low-Iron Glass
- Honed Belgian Bluestone
- Rift-Sawn White Oak Cabinetry
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 Site & The Challenge
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.
Architectural Solution
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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