Celeste Umpierre was the project architect under Gluckman Mayner Architects when this home was designed for sculptor Richard Serra and his wife. Serra, an American artist known internationally for his monumental abstract works placed within landscape, urban, and architectural contexts, sought a place where he could create his large format drawings while remaining connected to the coastal site.
The commission involved the design of a vernacular house addition guided by a clear conceptual strategy. To meet local code requirements for what constitutes an addition, a long, narrow structure functioning as a lap pool was introduced to physically link the existing residence to the new studio. This linear connector defines the addition within regulatory limits while establishing a powerful spatial relationship between the main house, the new work space, and the surrounding views.
The existing house is a wood frame vernacular structure. The new studio addition is built in steel in order to provide the durability and structural capacity required for the artist’s work. The choice of steel also speaks directly to Serra’s preferred medium and reflects the material intelligence that characterizes his sculptures. Throughout the project, special attention was given to craftsmanship and detail, ensuring that the architecture supports the precision and rigor of the artist’s practice.
To strengthen the home’s connection to the coastal environment, all ocean facing windows in the main residence were enlarged, bringing in expansive light and horizon views that now unify the house, the lap pool connector, and the studio into a cohesive, site-responsive whole.
