Carmel Valley Retreat

Timeless architecture embedded in the landscape

Project Type: Residential
Scope: Conceptual Design
Location: Carmel Valley, CA

Perched on a hilltop with sweeping views of the Pacific, this residence in Carmel Valley was designed to feel as though it had always been part of the land. Working closely with our clients from the earliest conceptual stages, we crafted a home that balances permanence with openness—timeless in both form and function. 

Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Modern building exterior with stone, wood, and black accents, large glass doorway, and landscaping including tall grasses and trees in the background, under a partly cloudy sky.

Site-Driven Orientation and Framed Views

Sun patterns, prevailing winds, and natural openings in the tree canopy informed the home’s precise placement on the site. Oriented toward distant northern ocean views, the building sits lightly on the hilltop, with framed sightlines carved through the forest to create deliberate moments of connection to the landscape—both near and far.

Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Modern bedroom with large glass windows and door opening to a patio with outdoor furniture and a fireplace, surrounded by trees and greenery.
Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Modern living room with large glass windows and sliding doors opening to outdoor patio.
Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Topographic map with labels indicating 'Ocean View,' 'Ravine,' 'Hill,' 'Mountain,' and 'Creek,' showing terrain features and property boundaries.
Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Multiple layers of a foggy forest landscape with trees and rolling hills, with measurement markings on the side indicating height in feet and a labeled 'Sight Range' line.
Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Landscape architectural plan with areas labeled 'Public', 'Private', 'Wild Vegetation', 'Back Yard', 'Front Yard', and features such as built zones, auto court, structured planting, and a grand view.

Detailed Site Analysis

Before breaking ground, we map the land in detail—analyzing slope, vegetation, and sightlines—to place the hilltop home exactly where the view opens up just right.

Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Floor plan of a house showing various rooms.

Layered Privacy

The home is organized along a clear threshold, separating shared living spaces from more private quarters. The kitchen, dining, and living areas form a communal zone for residents and guests alike, while the guest suite and the owners’ suite are positioned beyond—each offering increasing degrees of privacy, with the primary suite designed as an almost fully autonomous retreat.

Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Modern house with large windows, flat roof, wooden and concrete exterior, surrounded by greenery, with a gravel and grass courtyard.

Timeless Materiality and Living Roofs

The home is composed of enduring, tactile materials—board-formed concrete, natural stone, and vertical wood slats—that anchor it to the site. Each flat roof is planted with native grasses, restoring the hill’s original contours and reinforcing the idea that the building belongs to the landscape, not the other way around.

Carmel Valley Hillside Home in Carmel, California. Aerial view of a large wooded area with a small building labeled 'Primary Quarters / Office' and a covered outdoor patio.