A cliffside retreat where raw concrete meets warm timber, framing panoramic ocean views through floor-to-ceiling glass.
Perched on a rugged Malibu bluff, Villa Serene was conceived as a dialogue between shelter and exposure. The clients, a retired couple with a passion for art and surfing, asked for a home that felt grounded yet open to the vastness of the Pacific.
We organized the plan around a central courtyard that pulls ocean breezes through the living spaces while providing a protected outdoor room for year-round use. Board-formed concrete walls anchor the structure to the hillside, while a cantilevered timber volume hovers above, housing the private quarters and offering unobstructed horizon views.
Board-formed concrete, white oak, blackened steel, honed limestone, low-iron glass, and natural lime plaster.
Design: 8 months. Permitting: 6 months. Construction: 18 months. Total: 32 months from first sketch to final walkthrough.
Lead Architect: Elena Vasquez. Project Manager: David Okafor. Interior Design: Mia Sorensen. Structural Engineer: Arup Group.