Sea Ranch Condominium

"To evoke surprise and be different, to compel the creation of focused monumental architecture in a small scale while also being part of a larger living environment - all of this is represented in the early work of Charles Moore. And all three of these elements visibly merged in the famous Sea Ranch Condominium, the completion of which marked the beginning of the first significant stage of his career as an architect."
"The expression... is Californian. Its form draws on old barns and rural industrial buildings - critics have nicknamed it 'modern mine'."

"The design of the Sea Ranch residential complex on a spectacular site by the Pacific Ocean north of San Francisco by MLTW features apartments firmly clustered around a courtyard with traditional shed roofs, walls resembling towers, and forming a dominant shape. On one hand, the complex appears random and restrained, open to views of the landscape and the penetration of sunlight inside, but on the other, it shelters and protects from the wind. The concept was a cluster of objects designed to preserve the ruggedness and beauty of the site, California's wooden tradition translated to the mid-60s based on sensitivity and aesthetics with a type of economical and conscious builder."

"We aimed to connect the buildings with this vast landscape, which required larger dimensions and an overall appearance than most conventional houses, and also far more care in decision-making than most people working elsewhere would choose to give."

"At Sea Ranch, the houses blend very successfully with the forest; however, on the meadows, the houses need to establish a relationship with the landscape and with each other, which, as it turned out, is very difficult to achieve."