Fresh off the heels of its monograph, Hill Country Wine Cave, multidisciplinary firm Clayton Korte returns to wine country with a striking residence in Santa Ynez Valley. Here, Brian Korte, FAIA, the firm’s principal, dissects the space.
The residence is perched above 50 acres of planted vines. How did the wine country location influence the overall design?
The architecture defers to the landscape, embracing a quiet, rustic elegance that respects the site’s agrarian identity while creating a place of retreat and resonance. Its one-room- wide configuration [gives] every space cross ventilation and daylight, while expansive glazing strategically frames the most dramatic views, making the modest footprint feel spacious and open.
How do the home’s materials promote the connection between the great outdoors and indoors?
We curate materials with intention for their beauty as much as their practicality, and for their utility as much as their resilience. My favorite aspect of materiality is how distinct materials are crafted and how they are detailed to interact with one another. For example, the softness of veneer plaster revealed against natural white oak paneling or blackened steel.
Wine country is known for its delicious grapes, but also its devastating wildfires. How did this threat inform the design?
Along with careful site planning, landscape interface, and ignition resistance, an innovative roof assembly incorporated a Class A-rated underlayment between a Corten standing seam panel and metal deck, creating greater resilience. In a wildfire risk area like this, weathering steel is an obvious choice for constructing a building that can endure.
What role did nourishment, in both a literal and emotional sense, play in shaping the home and its relationship to the property?
The house completes a series of projects, including a vineyard barn and winery, and is the culmination of the client’s vision to live, farm and make (and enjoy) wine on the property. With minimal disruption to the land and a deep responsiveness to climate, materials and context, this home was designed to demonstrate how modern living can be rooted in sustainability, refinement, and place.
Photography by Casey Dunn.
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