Hope Ranch Residence

The Hope Ranch Residence in Santa Barbara was designed by Shubin Donaldson Architects for a client seeking a contemporary home informed by Mexican architectural traditions. The brief called for spaces suited to displaying art, as well as public areas for social gatherings, on a coastal site with notable views. The design responds with a composition of multiple orthogonal volumes that reference the monumental, textured character of Mexican architecture while integrating with the setting. The structure is defined by substantial plaster walls in a neutral, earthy hue, conveying solidity on one side and contrasted by expansive glazing on the other. Limestone cladding articulates the entry volume, which divides public and private zones. The central reflecting pool serves to link indoor and outdoor spaces, with floor-to-ceiling windows wrapping a fountain that brings light deep into the plan. Circulation includes an interior bridge crafted from Tzalam wood and a passage of stepping stones across the water feature. Color is selectively introduced through a curved orange corridor and a blue pool house wall, referencing Mexican palettes. The program also incorporates a 60-foot indoor lap pool illuminated with skylights, while limestone flooring with darker stripes continues from the exterior, echoing the geometries of the ceiling above.

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