Modern and contemporary
West Coast, as used here, is a regional cut of contemporary architecture — not a closed movement with a founder and date. It describes current homes on the US Pacific coast that respond to a mild climate and ocean or forest landscapes, informally inheriting the Californian Modernist tradition without repeating it verbatim.
West Coast has no single founding moment; it is instead a regional continuity that traces back to mid-20th-century Californian Modernism — the work of architects such as Richard Neutra and the Case Study House program — reinterpreted by contemporary firms over recent decades in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. It's an editorial and market term, not a dated manifesto.
It's recognized by strong permeability between interior and exterior, with sliding or pivoting glass doors that open fully, roofs that are often flat or low-pitched, natural wood (cedar, redwood) alongside concrete and glass, and volumes that open onto porches, decks and pools.
Interiors prioritize abundant natural light, light neutral palettes evoking sand and coastal fog, double-height social areas, natural wood floors and cladding, and simple-lined furniture that doesn't compete with the landscape seen through large windows.
West Coast's central idea is precisely to erase the boundary between façade and interior: large operable openings let the two spaces physically merge for most of the year, thanks to the region's mild climate. The reference boards should be read as two complementary faces of this same pursuit of spatial continuity.
The concept is to use contemporary architecture to amplify, rather than contain, the experience of Pacific climate and landscape — light, vegetation, proximity to the sea or the forest — prioritizing well-being and outdoor living over any fixed aesthetic rule.
Applying West Coast means prioritizing large operable openings, solar orientation and natural ventilation, durable natural materials, and a fluid transition to covered outdoor areas — adjusting these solutions to the real climate and regulations of the site, not just to a Californian image.
No. It's a regional, continuously evolving contemporary cut, with no single founding moment, though it converses informally with mid-20th-century Californian Modernism.
Not exactly: Mid-Century Modern is a dated style (1945–1969); West Coast, as used here, is current contemporary production that inherits some of that sensibility while folding in today's materials and technologies.
FROM INSPIRATION TO PROJECT
This is a development approach. The scope of each stage is defined in the contracted proposal.
Understand routines, preferences, the site and the planned investment.
Define the concept and relationship between architecture and interiors.
Adapt siting, spaces, materials and openings to local conditions.
Develop and detail the project according to the contracted scope.
The formal base of which West Coast is a regional application.
Explore this styleThe historic Californian heritage that informally informs West Coast's sensibility.
Explore this styleAnother regional contemporary cut, oriented to the mountains instead of the coast.
Explore this style