Coastal Modernism: California’s New Class of Single-Family Homes
Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.
California’s residential architecture represents a long history of experimentation and testing new ideas. As the demand for sustainable, innovative and beautiful residences continues to grow, architects and designers are redefining the concept of modern living in the Golden State. Now, there’s a wave of single-family homes built around the idea of Coastal Modernism, reinterpreting the past while building for today. This class of residences goes beyond the conventional, blending form and function to create living spaces that resonate with the demands of modern life.
Drawing inspiration from California’s unique topography, climate and culture, architects are embracing design approaches that harmonize with the natural surroundings. Whether perched on the picturesque hills of Northern California or nestled in the vibrant urban centers of SoCal, these homes are made to engage with their environment in a balance of aesthetics and practicality. From diverse design principles and layouts to environmentally conscious construction methods, discover the architectural landscape of California’s latest residential projects.
Suspension House
By Fougeron Architecture, California
Jury Winner, 11th Annual A+Awards, Renovations + Additions
Perched between two Californian hills with a creek and waterfall in the backyard, this remodel aimed to seamlessly integrate the structure into the environment within strict legal guidelines. The new home maintains the exact outline of the existing house and decks, anchoring itself to the bedrock instead of disturbing the creek below. Transparent materials, floor-to-ceiling windows and open-concept outdoor spaces offer unobstructed views of natural water features.
Retaining 50% of the existing wood structure, a steel frame supports the home, exposed on all floors. The third floor rotates for better site relation, breaking up the mass and creating a dynamic, light-filled space. The Suspension House achieves a delicate balance between modern architecture and its natural surroundings.
Mar Vista
By WOODS + DANGARAN, Los Angeles, California
Jury Winner, 9th Annual A+Awards, Residential Interiors (>3000 sq ft)
Perched on a downsloped lot, this 6,000 square-foot house maximizes views with strategic placement of the entry and master suite. The L-shaped footprint incorporates an in-ground pool. The street view features a grounded elevation with a privacy wall, floating second floor, and cedar louvers for visual interest.
The entry sequence includes a courtyard with a gingko tree. The main level boasts a modern palette of metal, polished concrete, and glass, emphasizing indoor-outdoor living. The sculptural stair leads to warmer personal spaces on the second level, with custom furnishings that help to soften the architecture.
California Meadow House
By Olson Kundig, Woodside, California
Designed by Jim Olson, this family estate seamlessly integrates architecture, interior design, art and landscape into a unified whole. The central “home base” living area serves as the core, with views extending in four directions across reflecting pools, gardens, and the Santa Cruz Mountains. The estate includes auxiliary buildings and outdoor living areas, made to blend into its verdant surroundings. The 3.5-acre site is divided into two interconnected parts, with cultivated areas featuring old-growth olive trees, a vineyard, and a succulent garden.
The “wild” half includes private spaces like the master suite and children’s bedrooms, with fluidity between inside and outside. Retracting window walls and trellises maximize outdoor living and natural ventilation. The earthy exterior palette continues inside, integrating with custom furniture and an international contemporary art collection. The home, designed for energy efficiency, incorporates solar panels, geothermal and hydronic systems, achieving a practical integration with nature.
Carmel Valley Residence
By Piechota Architecture, Healdsburg, California
Nestled in Carmel Valley’s Santa Lucia Preserve, the residence aptly was named after the surrounding area. It embraces an L-shaped plan, naturally integrating into the landscape. Located in a sunny clearing, the home features concrete, weathered steel, and cedar, mirroring the hues of the hills. Custom floor-to-ceiling glass offers breathtaking views of rolling hills, wildlife, and the valley.
The program divides between two structures forming the “L,” connected by an enclosed second-story bridge. This layout separates living spaces from suites, maximizing outdoor living. The house, oriented for views, follows the forest perimeter, with expansive windows framing oak trees as natural elements of focus.
Off-Grid Guest House
By ANACAPA, Santa Barbara, California
Situated on a pristine coastal wildlife preserve in California, this modern guest house achieves a harmonious blend of residential development and ecological preservation. Tucked into a hillside with minimal visual impact, the home offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and hills through expansive sliding glass and cantilevered decks. Architect Dan Weber and designer Steve Willson prioritized environmental sensitivity, employing green building practices and sustainable systems.
The off-grid residence relies on a photovoltaic energy system, LED lighting, and low-usage appliances. With a private well, septic tank, and green roof for insulation, the house integrates seamlessly with its surroundings. Elemental materials like steel, concrete and glass, complemented by walnut accents, create a warm and characteristic space.
Lattice House
By Aidlin Darling Design, Belvedere, California
This coastal home, perched on a precipice, offers breathtaking views from San Francisco to Mount Tamalpais. Nestled amid live oak trees and Monterey pines, it maintains intimacy. Inspired by terraced landscapes, its design responds to the steep terrain, protecting occupants from the elements. Earth-toned concrete and stone walls retain the hillside, shaping living spaces.
Shifting floor plates and roof planes maximize solar exposure, creating sheltered gardens. Cedar slats filter sunlight into open-air terraces, enhancing the indoor-outdoor experience. The architecture is both grounded and dynamic, providing a sense of protection and comfort amid stunning views.
RidgeView House
By Zack | de Vito Architecture + Construction, Saint Helena, California
Nestled amongst the natural rock outcroppings, and native Oak and Manzanita trees, the RidgeView House sits atop the western edge of the Vaca Range overlooking St. Helena and the Napa Valley. Perched on a ridge, it offers valley views to the west and forest views to the east. Every room utilizes doors, windows and materials to integrate inside and outside spaces, maximizing views and bathing the interior in natural light.
The structure’s exposed interior materials contrast elegance and strength, while the exterior features a natural palette of materials – concrete, corten and cedar – allowed to patina and blend into the California flora. Expressive details showcase the materials and craft, reflecting the successful creative partnership of the owner, architect and builder.
C-Glass House
By deegan day design, Marin County, California
The C-Glass House, a 2,100 square foot retreat in northern California, stands on a wind-swept site with a panoramic view of Tomales Bay and the open ocean. Designed with inspiration from Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House, it also draws from California legacies like Elwood and Koenig. Unlike earlier ‘vitrines in a garden,’ this glass house on the west coast prioritizes its environment, using framing, cantilever, and directional enclosure to capture the beauty of the surroundings.
The residence navigates between the precision of high modern glass houses and the Case Study generation. While influenced by architectural lineage, the C-Glass House is equally indebted to artists like Larry Bell and Dan Graham, incorporating reflective and refractive elements. It bridges these influences to open up to a panoramic vista, reflecting on architecture’s evolving role in the American landscape.
Camp Baird
By Malcolm Davis Architecture, Healdsburg, California
In search of a weekend escape, the owners of this compound sought a retreat from their central urban house. The design was made in consideration of both the client’s active children and a steep slope. Rehiring architect Malcolm Davis, who designed their primary residence, they envisioned a rural counterpoint to their urban dwelling. The goal was to create a camp-like structure focused on the outdoors, inspired by images of tents on a deck and a possible prefabricated structure.
Davis, drawing on his Northern California Regionalist background, embraced the concept defined by Louis Mumford as “a native and humane form of modernism.” Camp Baird, located on 165 acres in a coastal valley, is completely off the grid. Comprising two structures — an L-shaped main pool house and a car barn — it offers multi-functional spaces for various activities amid the natural surroundings.
House Set on the Valley Floor
By ATELIER JØRGENSEN, Napa County, California
Nestled within vineyards near the town center, this house features two interconnected structures protected by ‘L’ shaped walls, one stone and one cedar, shielding them from a busy road. Courtyards and terraces emerge behind these walls, forming individual gardens that seamlessly blend with the landscape. Slender pathways connect gardens, courtyards and interior spaces, respecting the surrounding environment. The entrance garden, resembling a porch-like atrium, leads to a solid redwood door crafted from a tree on the site.
The foyer connects the main walls, with a cedar gateway to guest rooms and a stone portal to the family art collection and main house. Expansive eaves offer year-round outdoor enjoyment and shield from the summer sun, while the house’s envelope balances privacy with large openings to the landscape, reflecting its rural setting.
Architects: Want to have your project featured? Showcase your work through Architizer and sign up for our inspirational newsletters.
Neri&Hu were tasked with creating a private residence that would accommodate three adult siblings while preserving the memory of their childhood home. The previous British colonial bungalow with Malay and Victorian influences inspired the new design. Retaining the pitched roof’s symbolic significance, the two-story house organizes communal spaces around a central garden, serving as a memorial for their late mother. The ground level emphasizes visual transparency, connecting living spaces to the lush perimeter gardens, while sliding glass doors provide cross ventilation and direct access to outdoor spaces.
Heatherwick Studio’s Learning Hub was designed to be a new multi-use building for the NTU campus. The university specifically requested a distinctive design tailored to modern learning approaches. In response, the team crafted a structure that would foster collaboration among students and professors from diverse disciplines. The result is an architecture that blends social and learning areas, creating spaces for spontaneous interactions between students and professors. Twelve towers, each a stack of rounded tutorial rooms, taper inwards at their base around a spacious central atrium.
Carve and Playpoint were the designers behind a new slide attraction inside the Jewel Changi Airport. The attraction, situated in the Canopy Park on the highest level of the new development in front of Terminal 1, is part of a comprehensive project that includes a shopping mall, attraction park and garden. The Canopy Park features over 1,400 trees and palms alongside various other attractions, aiming to enhance the overall airport experience and entice travelers to choose Singapore’s Changi airport over others.
Safdie Architects have long reimagined what contemporary living environments can be. For Sky Habitat, the team redefined urban living with a three-dimensional matrix of homes. The project features terraces, balconies, and communal gardens that infuse every level with landscape, light, and air. The stepped form mimics a hillside town, providing units with diverse orientations, natural ventilation, and expansive views. In contrast to typical high-density buildings, Sky Habitat prioritizes resident well-being by offering amenities such as swimming pools, playgrounds, gardens and communal spaces for family gatherings.
The building concept for the Ascent Science Park focuses on legibility and drawing visitors in during all hours on the campus. A key part of the conceptual strategy for the mixed-use development building was lighting: varied-height translucent glass modules in the facade spandrel encircling the central courtyard serve as a rainscreen, sheltered arcade, and lighting feature. Designed by UK Architecture firm S333, the guiding concept aimed to create a highly efficient scheme that encourages spill over activities at night.
Early concept ideas for the masterplan for Gardens by the Bay in Singapore were inspired by the orchid (the national flower of Singapore). WilkinsonEyre, part of the winning team in the design competition, played a pivotal role in creating the Cooled Conservatory Complex. This iconic structure, at the heart of the Bay South Garden, features two of the world’s largest climate-controlled glasshouses.
“Marina One” stands as a groundbreaking model for urban living and working, particularly in tropical mega-cities grappling with population growth and climate change. The 400,000-square-meter high-density complex, comprising four high-rise buildings, establishes the “Green Heart” — a multi-story public space showcasing a three-dimensional green oasis inspired by tropical flora diversity. The strategic collaboration between ingenhoven architects and landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman resulted in natural ventilation and an innovative climate strategy, as well as a landscaped area surpassing the original site surface.
The city of Palma has a new landmark, and it isn’t what the general population might expect from the sun-soaked Mallorcan capital, known for the splendor and intricacy of its massive cathedral and the magnificent concentration of modernismo-style buildings (the Catalan equivalent of Art Nouveau). What sets this new residential complex apart isn’t simply its strikingly delicate façade and palpable material approach, but also the design’s dedication sustainability, energy-efficiency and urban integration.
Like a beacon for the future of design, this ten-unit residential building is proudly perched on a highly visible corner in London. The design, which incorporates a variety of different apartment layouts for families of varying sizes, emerged through a rigorous analysis of privacy, daylight and neighboring building forms. The resulting architectural language complements the surrounding context and history. For example, red masonry shingles create an urban composition which is both reminiscent of the surroundings yet distinct.
Vital Brookdale stands as a prime example of affordable Passive House and community-oriented housing, providing 160 affordable housing units and 25,000 square feet (2,320 square meters) of health-centric community space in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood. This initiative incorporates a 100kW solar photovoltaic system mounted on the roof, a green roof, advanced mechanical systems, top-tier insulation and windows, LED lighting, water fixtures with low flow, and various other energy-efficient features. Meanwhile, inside, materials were selected according to the ease of installation, cost, maintenance and their impact on resident health. The result is a resounding testament to the untapped power of Passive House design in multifamily housing.
A five-story mixed-use development with commercial space on the ground floor and 45 rental units above, this project achieved Passive House certification, utilizes mass timber construction and is an all-electric, Net Zero Ready Building. The upper floors facing Broadway showcase a mosaic of rainscreen siding, reducing massing while providing shading and play of light through deep windows.
Located in East Harlem, the design for this massive housing complex, home to 709 affordable units, prioritizes Passive House principles without compromising on design excellence. Inspired by a historic trail that once traversed the location, the project organizes itself into three distinct volumes, which frame a central meandering landscaped path. that culminates in a captivating central courtyard. This dynamic space cascades across various levels, fostering the creation of individual community gardens.
These two new sculptural buildings in Hamberg extend a traditional working class residential area, reinterpreting the original architectural language or the area while simultaneously reconciling them with the high energy efficiency requirements of a passive house building. The resulting complex adds seventy-five publicly funded housing units that vary in size and layout (for single persons, couples and families), thereby extending the principals of the surrounding urban fabric — IBA 2013, an intercultural housing project designed to house over 1,700 people from 30 different nations.
The SIX, a LEED Gold-certified affordable housing project, redefines shelter for previously homeless veterans in McArthur Park. Breaking from traditional layouts, it prioritizes public areas over private space: four levels of housing units surround a courtyard with green-roofed balconies, visually connecting to the street below.
Ville Verdi transcends traditional housing, embracing passive house elements to form an eco-friendly haven. Comprising 5 villas with 34 residential units each, the design emphasizes barrier-free accessibility and communal spaces, fostering a sense of community.
Designed to operate with an impressive 85 percent less energy than typical New York City apartment buildings, this groundbreaking six-story residential building in Bushwick was the country’s first mid-sized apartment complex adhering to Passive House design standards. Featuring 24 units of affordable housing, each rental residence incorporates individual ventilation systems, small radiators for heating and airtight window air conditioning units, meeting the stringent Passive House criteria. The triple-paned windows and a sculpted exterior facade utilizing STO EIFS insulation optimize energy performance by minimizing heat loss in winter and reducing solar heat gain in summer.
Arch. T. Jordan Ong graduated B.S. Architecture from the College of Architecture and Fine Arts (Now College of Architecture) at the University of Santo Tomas. He has worked in various reputable architectural firms and has risen among the top key employees on all occasions. He has handled hundreds of residential and high-rise projects during his stay in one of his previous firm, where he worked as department head for construction. But having the drive and passion to pursue his goal, he humbly started his own practice in the summer of 2007 and since has expanded his portfolio, designing various projects ranging from high-end residential projects, townhouses, mid-rise buildings, high rise buildings, restaurants and commercial buildings. He embraced the modern minimalist style, and it shows in all of his works, but has added his own style in the process.
This metaverse masterplan is designed for a futuristic, dystopian world in which global warming has flooded the Earth, rendering it uninhabitable. The Metacity will consist of five cities, the first of which will take the form of a Möbius strip, hovering above the ocean. The city will function as a self-contained eco-system, featuring a gravity-coated surface that generates perpendicular gravity.
One of the unique draws of the metaverse is its ability to bridge the voids of geography. You can share the same virtual space as someone thousands of miles away — no arduous traveling required. It makes sense then to leverage this new realm as a business and networking tool.
Defined by its amethyst hues and the glass globe at its heart, the Unusualverse is conceived as a plain of artistic community. A reaction to the The term ‘metaverse’ first appeared in the 1992 dystopian novel, but in more recent years, fiction has truly become (virtual) reality. of the physical world, this new virtual reality universe offers a space for creativity to flourish, at a distance from the pressures of society and day-to-day life.
A car showroom with a difference, this innovative concept space deftly combines reality and virtual reality. In contrast to the other projects in this round-up, the exhibition hall was designed for a real-world location: Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Created to promote eco-friendly vehicles, the metaverse fuses with the material fabric of the space, conjuring up new horizons of exploration.
HWKN Architecture was chosen to design a virtual cultural hub by metaverse company Pax.World. Dubbed a metaserai, the concept was inspired by 
A virtual gallery showcasing the work of architecture firm ATRIUM, this dynamic, cave-like space envelops users with its curvilinear lines. Forming a rippling, multi-layered terrain, pale pink blurs into hot pink hues across the floor and walls, before cooling to white across the ceiling, where architectural elements hang in the air.
New York is a city known for housing scarcity, and a place that’s defined by reinvention. For Timber House, MESH Architectures was inspired by natural finishes and “botanical architecture.” The idea was not only to foster well-being, but create a new model for timber construction in the city. The project is the first mass-timber condominium in New York, and the structure was built with glue-laminated timber columns, beams, and floor plates. The six-story, multifamily project is comprised of fourteen homes.
MVRDV has earned a reputation for reinvention and creating new building forms. That same approach extends to housing, where the team designed Valley with a more “green and human” touch. Built for developer Edge, the project is located in Amsterdam Zuidas. Rising to three distinct towers, the façades shift across the complex. The outer edges are mirrored glass, while the inner façades are clad with stone and swaths of greenery.
Few locations are more prominent for multifamily housing in St. Louis than Forest Park. Designed by Studio Gang, One Hundred is a residential tower overlooking the park and the studio’s first project in the city. The tower includes a mix of housing, retail and amenities on four-story stacked tiers. The apartments were designed for views of Forest Park and east to the Gateway Arch.
The Cirqua project by BKK gained widespread recognition for creating beautiful, inventive multifamily architecture. The project includes 38 unique unit types out of the 42 total apartments made with spacious balconies and an integrated approach to landscaping. Combining two properties into a single block, the project was formed with careful attention paid to scale and the surrounding context. Cirqua not only showcases a smart, nuanced approach to multifamily housing, but also how to design for accessibility and passive performance.
Caterpillar approaches density through a novel construction and design in Core City, Detroit. It utilizes a Quonset Hut structure that holds eight units, all entirely prefabricated. The result is an 8,000 square foot (745 square meter) residential project that prioritizes indoor and outdoor space. Prince Concepts created the project with tall ceilings that rise to 23 feet (7 meters); the units were designed to capture morning light in the bedrooms and evening sunsets in the living room.
CPDA Architects designed this garden house project as a multifamily development in Mexico City. Located in the Escandón neighborhood, the project includes fourteen residential units. At its heart, a central courtyard is the connective element that defines the housing project, opening up access to natural light and cross ventilation. Ten townhouse units are set up the four ground-floor units below, all of which share a similar material relationship.
Few cities in the world are grappling with homelessness and a severe lack of housing affordability like Los Angeles. Brooks+Scarpa has built a practice addressing issues in the city and across the nation. For this multifamily residential, The SIX was designed as a 52-unit affordable housing project that “provides a home, support services and rehabilitation for previously homeless and/or disabled veterans.”
Over the last two decades, development in China has been defined by a dizzying pace and new architecture produce in-mass. For Jinshan 9, this force behind new buildings was directed into a multifamily living community. Located in China’s Shekou mixed-use district, the project looks out west to wild, forested mountains and east to Shenzhen Bay Bridge. With a range of both low-rise and high-rise structures, the development was made for diverse lifestyles and populations.
Firm Location: Chicago, Illinois (Headquarters, with offices elsewhere)
Firm Location: Beijing, China
Firm Location: New York, New York (Headquarters, with offices elsewhere)
Firm Location: New York, New York
Firm Location: San Francisco, California (Headquarters, with offices elsewhere)
Firm Location: Edmonton, Canada (Headquarters, with offices elsewhere)
Firm Location: Montreal, Canada (Headquarters, with offices elsewhere)
