US firm Studio Schicketanz has completed a low-lying, coastal house for a Silicon Valley family with facades that were kept "quiet and simple" in deference to natural terrain. The Mal Paso Residence is located on a sloped, coastal property in the Big Sur area that totals 116 acres (47 hectares). The dwelling sits near Garrapata State Park, the Carmel Highlands community and the iconic Highway One

The clients – a Silicon Valley family with two children and a live-in grandparent – purchased the scenic property from the Nature Conservancy, which had offered the site as three separate parcels.  For them equating to an intimate space that at once showcases its surroundings and becomes a part of them.

Informed by the Pacific Ocean and surrounding mountains, the studio aimed to create a dwelling that blends into the hillside. Siting the building required an extensive analysis. The design comprises four interconnected pavilions, variously angled and each containing different functions, forming a compound built into the hillside, allowing the natural landscape to flow onto the lush green roof.

Roughly V-shaped in plan, the house consists of low-slung, rectangular volumes positioned around an inner courtyard, where many family activities take place. The west side of the house, which faces the sea, has a central communal block and two bedroom wings. The east side, which abuts a curved retaining wall, contains two buildings. One holds a garage, bedroom, bathroom and laundry facilities, while the other contains a billiards room.