The property is 1.25 acres, but the buildable site is a tiny shelf accessed by a steep driveway that would not meet today’s fire department standards.  Sitting high up on a south-facing slope, the site overlooks Mission Canyon, the city of Santa Barbara and beyond, to a spectacular expanse of the California coast from Ventura to the Channel Islands.

Devastating fires in the California foothills have become commonplace, and the California landscape suffers badly in the aftermath.  Nature recovers amazingly fast, but the man made environment does not.  The opportunity to renew is often squandered on hasty projects driven by insurance company limits, fire department mandates, and contractor “assistance”, which are all heaped on fire victims who have little understanding of design and construction. The Ullman Residence took a different path, using a design-driven process that succeeded on many levels.   

The design challenge had multiple aspects:

   • County requirements for the footprint and roof height to be exactly the same as the previous house in order to receive the preferential permit process for fire victims (maximum 10 day plan check).

   • Restrictions on all exterior materials due to the high fire hazard location.

   • A privacy-destroying insurance requirement to permanently maintain a 150’ minimum clear area outward from any point on the exterior of the house, regardless of property line locations, on a site that was once shrouded in trees.

   • A fire department requirement for a full hammerhead turnaround adjacent to the house.

   • A budget dictated by the insurance benefit limits for a total loss replacement.

   • A personal need for the amazing views and natural light of the site to permeate every room, and for the use of materials to honor the nearby mission-era buildings, particularly the utilitarian structures such as the granary, workshops and aqueduct, in their sublime simplicity and suitability for the climate and surrounding landscape.

The resulting design is transparent and open, using high performance glass in narrow steel frames to temper its south-facing exposure without sacrificing views.  Privacy is protected by walls of local sandstone that appear first along the entry drive, then lead into and surround the entry courtyard, then slice though the house, separating public and private spaces, grounding the home and directing views to the ocean. The exposed concrete floor incorporates an 8” structural slab with integrated hot water coils, but the floors generally absorb enough radiant heat from the sun so that the floors are warm even on the coldest days. On hot days, operable windows and cross-ventilation keep things cool.