Pacific Avenue Residence

Manhattan Beach, CA

Perched on a hilltop in a coastal neighborhood, this residence reflects its owner's appreciation for clean lines, visual simplicity, and quiet surprises. Winner of multiple architecture awards, this hilltop home was designed around the themes modern, coastal, and sanctuary. Its form reinterprets a beach shack with clean lines and a pitched roof. Its materials echo driftwood and beach stone and its spaces maximize daylight, openness, and human scale.

A central glass entry hall, skylights, and large openings create a bright, flowing environment and connect indoors with outdoors. Sustainability is central, with passive cooling, geothermal systems, and solar panels reducing environmental impact.

Designed for a large, community-oriented family, the residence offers a sanctuary-like atmosphere that captures the relaxed, connected feeling of beach living, even off the shore.

Modern white two-story home at dusk with illuminated windows, concrete entry pillars, and mature oak tree in landscaped yard.
Modern white two-story home with black-framed windows, surrounded by mature trees and drought-tolerant landscaping.
Modern entryway featuring floating staircase with black metal railings, limestone walls, and light wood ceiling
Covered entryway with concrete walls and ceiling, potted plants flanking path, modern farmhouse architecture beyond
Modern entryway with black steel staircase, floor-to-ceiling glass doors, and skylight over light wood ceiling
View through black-framed window showing light wood paneled interior with nested window, creating layered depth
Outdoor Connections
Thoughtful detailing blurs the lines between outside and in.
Modern open staircase with wood treads and black steel frame beneath wood ceiling and skylight in contemporary home
Modern staircase with black steel railings, light wood treads, and concrete walls in contemporary home interior.
Corner detail showing light stone tile meeting darker stone with dark wood soffit and pale wood paneling above
Modern staircase with black steel frame and light wood treads under skylight, featuring vertical metal railings
Floating wooden staircase with vertical railings beside a textured concrete wall beneath a wood-paneled ceiling
Glass Entry Hall
A partial glass roof affords abundant natural daylight to penetrate the heart of the home while celebrating the monumental stair
Serene coastal bedroom with light wood ceiling, abstract art, upholstered bench, and windows framing ocean views.
Spa-like bathroom with natural oak vanity, marble countertops, and white chandelier creating a serene, elegant space.
Modern bathroom vanity with fluted wood cabinetry, marble countertop, black fixtures, and window overlooking greenery.
Bath Sanctuary
Soft stone, plaster, and textured wood color
tones make for a serene palette
Spa-like bathroom with freestanding white tub, natural light, indoor olive tree, and illuminated vanity with mirror
Upper-level hallway with light wood paneling, black metal railings, palm tree artwork, and large windows framing views.
Open-plan living space with natural wood ceilings, stone floors, and seamless indoor-outdoor connection through glass walls
Light-filled hallway with white walls, oak flooring, framed artwork gallery, and colorful abstract painting at corridor's end.
Natural Daylight
Large windows and doors in strategic locations create opportunities for rhythmic streams and bounced light to enter
Modern kitchen with natural wood cabinetry, marble countertops, brass fixtures, and dining area with garden views
Warm living room with fireplace, built-in shelving, wood ceiling, rust-colored chairs, and piano beneath basket pendant light
Modern dining room with dark wood table, chandelier with fabric shades, and floating staircase with metal railings
Modern outdoor dining patio with black pergola, glass doors, stone flooring, and desert landscaping under blue sky.

Outdoor Placemaking
In appreciation of the mild Southern California climate, we carved out places under cover to enjoy ocean breezes and family gatherings

Modern home exterior with black pergola and white outdoor furniture, featuring vertical siding and landscaped patio.
Modern concrete wall with white vertical slat fence and native grasses in corten steel planter box
Texture
The site walls are natural wood-tone vertical pickets inspired by classic dune fence imagery. The same linear motif translates into the trellis display of shadow patterns across the facade
Modern multi-level home with vertical white siding, glass bridge connector, and native landscaping under blue sky.
Modern white residential architecture with multiple gabled volumes, outdoor pergola, pool, and landscaped yard under blue sky.
Aerial view of modern white coastal homes with solar panels, overlooking ocean and neighboring community
Aerial view of modern residential homes with extensive solar panel installations on flat and sloped rooftops
Modern white home with pool, outdoor kitchen, and covered patio featuring natural materials and indoor-outdoor living
Modern white two-story home with outdoor kitchen and covered patio beside pool at dusk, showcasing indoor-outdoor living.