Beyond the entry wall a shimmering pool becomes the focal point of the inner courtyard and defines the boundaries of the protected outdoor living space.  The entry canopy traces the outline of the house to form a clerestory light shelf on the south elevation that softens the strong southern light and reinforces the long, horizontal expression of the house.

Essential and reductive, the great room is a composition in modern living where light is the primary building material, playing upon the warm tones of the alder wood and the coolness of the carrera and sand blasted block walls.  Punctured by a thoughtfully placed sitting window, the sandblasted block feature wall anchors the great room, giving definition to the seating area.

Intimately private yet, equally open to the dramatic views beyond, the master bedroom suite is a serene sanctuary seemingly a world away from the public spaces of the house.  The master bathroom is filled with light spilling in from the clerestory windows, the lattice screened aperture to the adjacent master bedroom, and most dramatically, by the floor to ceiling window of the shower.

Enclosed by a glass wall in the void between the garage and private spaces, the office enjoys breathtaking views across the pool courtyard.

Illuminated like a lantern, the house takes on a new character as the sun sets over the pacific horizon beyond Montana de Oro.  In the evening, more so than any other time, the envelope of the home dissolves completely, connecting the inhabitants to the surrounding landscape beyond. 

Time is marked by the passage of the sun across the sky and tomorrow the sun will rise again to fill the space with light.