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| TIN ROOF This house at Sea Ranch on the northern California coast generates a sense of place by offering the inhabitants a series of small outdoor areas sheltered from strong winds off the Pacific. The reddish concrete pavers make visitors feel that they've arrived even before they reach the entrance. The irregular path of approach—the grid of paving stones is incomplete and interspersed with vegetation—accentuates the feeling that getting to this house is something of an adventure. The guestroom door is positioned in an alcove, making a small space off a larger space—a very effective way to create a succession of experiences. The contrast between the sheltering exterior, much of it clad in wood or in corrugated metal that conjures up
associations with agricultural structures, and the interior, dramatically open and abounding m natural light, arouses a strong reaction—relief and delight—when people finallv enter. The materials are familiar, but used in ways that provoke surprise, as with the corrugated metal pipe that serves as fireplace flues. A visitors emotions oscillate between being soothed by the glowing expanses of wood and made curious by the complex ceilings and walls. |