Designed as a study of rural “right size” design, High Meadow Ranch is conceived as a home for two which can expand to host an extended family, threaded into a crest of the Santa Lucia range. The remote site offers panoramic views and a focal point in the middle of a sloping knoll but is bifurcated by a “No Vertical Zone”. Marrying the program, including a Barn and Guest Cottage, with the terrain required a thoughtful approach to the sensitive habitat.   

Working with the contours, the main home is composed of three gabled forms that bridge the knoll top and the meadow below, promoting a comfortable connection to the land. The distinct volumes ensure separation between uses and the perceived size of the house expands or contracts depending on its occupants. The outbuildings become separate destinations, situated to minimize site disturbance and activate diverse vegetation and landforms.   

Leveraging the site’s microclimate, the Great Room is conceptualized as a screened porch, offering residents the ability to open and conceal the glazing system entirely. This functional shift heightens awareness of the daily and seasonal rhythms of the site, while providing shelter. The gabled ends provide broad covered outdoor spaces, complimented by terraces in the knoll and meadow that complete the cardinal range of outdoor living. A limited palette of natural, durable materials draws from historic ranch structures of the area, curated to age gracefully on the site. Refined details punctuate the material expression, bringing their richness into quiet focus.  

Richard Beard Architects design team
Brett Moyer, Principal
Rebecca Lischwe
Daniel Widlowski

Project team 
Architecture: Richard Beard Architects
Interior Design: Studio Collins Weir
Contractor: Stocker & Allaire General Contractors
Landscape: Arterra Landscape Architects
Civil: Whitson Engineers
Structural: Strandberg Engineering
MEP: Axiom Engineers
Lighting: Tucci Lighting