Header: Joe Fletcher
In Carmel Valley, USA, the Santa Lucia Preserve spans 20,000 acres of warm-toned land, of which 18,000 are protected under a conservation land trust, leaving only 10% available for infrastructure. These 10% are home to a private club, outdoor recreation, equestrian facilities, and 297 homesites, many of which are not visible from roads and trails. In this community, the Meadow House was recently erected, a multigenerational family home designed by Mark English Architects, with Mark English himself serving as lead designer, having focused on both the architecture and the interior design.
Meadow House was designed to ground its residents with the protected landscape around them and respect said environment. To ensure this, the project underwent five hearings with the Design Review Board to ensure compliance with the land development and design guidelines of the Preserve. One of the goals of the project was to create a “California home with a Korean heart“, which led to these extra hearings since the family wanted to reflect and uphold their Korean heritage while also staying in sync with the aesthetic of the community.
The house is designed to be barrier-free, accommodating up to 10 guests and offering the versatility needed to create various configurations for dining, banquettes, and presentation functions. Large windows help open up the lives of the residents to the beautiful outdoors, a feature that also allows natural light to flood the space. Sleek lines, openness, great views, and unique décor pieces make up the interior, touches that, together, give the sense of entering a space full of energy and good memories.
It is outside that the lack of barriers is most felt, as a huge patio gives residents the 24/7 luxury of relaxing while admiring the panoramic views of infinite hills and valleys. Located next to the hacienda, the headquarters of the golf facilities, the sports centre, and the equestrian centre, residents can have the best of both worlds: seclusion and intimacy whenever needed, friends and activities whenever wanted.
