Project Details
- Project Name
- The Cresta
- Location
-
La Jolla ,CA ,United States
- Project Types
-
Custom ,Single Family
- Project Scope
- New Construction
- Size
- 5,300 sq. feet
- Year Completed
- 2014
- Shared by
-
Architect,Hanley
- Consultants
-
General Contractor: Jonathan & Matthew Segal,Jonathan Segal, FAIA,Matthew Segal
- Project Status
- Built
2017 Builder's Choice & Custom Home Design Awards
Custom Home More Than 5,000 Square Feet: Merit
Even though nearby houses sit on much larger lots, the Cresta is a standout in its La Jolla, Calif., neighborhood. Despite its tiny 0.11-acre site, the solar-powered concrete dwelling lives large thanks to San Diego architect/developer Jonathan Segal’s creative solutions for offering outdoor space without sacrificing privacy. For instance, the open-air lounge receives plentiful sunshine through a void cut into the overhanging roof structure while being shielded from public view by double-height concrete panels on one side and the house on the other. Floor-to-ceiling glass panels and sliding glass doors, a rooftop deck, and stunning Pacific Ocean views further blur the lines between indoors and out.
The finished below-grade floor encompasses guest and recreation spaces. Because of its high thermal mass, concrete was a smart choice to help minimize the home’s cooling needs in San Diego’s warm, sunny climate. Other sustainable strategies like extended overhangs for shading, a 6.5 kw rooftop solar array, and efficient appliances and systems up the sustainability quotient. Due to the large expanses of operable glass, the thermal mass of the concrete, sun shading, and the insulating effect of the pool, the solar array is able to supply nearly 100% of the home’s required power, bringing the home’s energy consumption to net zero. Surrounded on two sides by water features, this one-of-a-kind, self-sufficient house appears to be floating, and beckons residents and visitors to sit back, relax, and enjoy. — J.G.
“The way light modulates the house is stunning: during the day, it bounces off the concrete surfaces. At night, the house glows like a jewel.” -Juror Sebastian Schmaling
Project Description
Custom Home / Over 3,000 Square Feet / Award
Taking advantage of San Diego’s temperate climate, Jonathan Segal, FAIA, focused the design of this 5,300-square-foot house around the notion of an outdoor room. Situated at the top of a meandering entry sequence, the open-air lounge space is shielded from public view by double-height concrete panels on one side, and the bulk of the house on the other, while still receiving ample California sunshine through a void cut into the overhanging roof structure. Formed entirely from cast-in-place concrete, punctuated by floor-to-ceiling glass panels (many of which are operable, to allow fresh air indoors), the structure has two stories that are above grade, topped by a deck and a solar array that provides nearly all of the home’s power. A third finished below-grade floor offers guest and recreation spaces, and an L-shaped pool wraps the house on two sides. “It’s just stellar,” juror Gregory Hoss said. “I really like the relationship between the glass and the concrete,” agreed Cary Bernstein. “It is really well done.” —Katie Gerfen
