The Ridge Loggia
A ridge with a spectacular view — and wind that made it unusable
The Hollis family loved their ridge-top view and almost never used it. By mid-afternoon the wind came off the ocean hard enough to blow napkins off the table, and the existing deck offered no shelter, no shade and nowhere to cook.
We wanted a structure that felt like part of the house rather than a garden building — one that would take the weather without taking the view.
★★★★★
“One team, one price, zero drama. We now eat every dinner outside from April to November.”
The challenge
A view you could not sit in
The site had a 180° outlook and a prevailing westerly that made the terrace uncomfortable from three in the afternoon. Any structure had to break the wind without cutting the view, on a ridge with almost no soil depth for footings.
Our solution
Shelter that frames the view
A cedar loggia with a solid west wall and an open north face turns the wind while leaving the outlook untouched. Beneath it sits a full outdoor kitchen in honed granite, and a low screen of native ceanothus softens the approach without blocking sightlines.
Project results
- 7 mo
- of the year the terrace is now comfortable
- 4
- distinct zones in a compact footprint
- 11 wk
- from demolition to first dinner
- 0
- subcontractors on the build
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