The Branch House is located on a one acre-lot in the hills of Montecito. The property originally held a 1960’s ranch house with native Coastal Live Oaks in the back yard. The new house, arranged in the round, is conceived as a cluster of program volumes each with its own unique orientation to light and view. Demolishing the original ranch allowed us to restore the oak grove and return the earth to its natural grade. Working closely with an arborist, we built the house within the oaks, floating the house off the ground by means of concrete piles. In addition to providing a primary view out to the landscape, each room also has a skylight offering a view of the sky. A circulation spine, lined with glass, doubles as a gallery for the owner's collection of contemporary art.