Home as Art

A skilled architect composes a sweeping desert-style masterpiece atop Mount Soledad

Guy Dreier, a Palm Desert–based architect, created the model for his first San Diego commission, a 22,000-square-foot residence on Mount Soledad, in just six weeks. Surprised and delighted at his efficiency, the homeowners, a semi-retired stockbroker and his wife, a talented artist, began to believe their dream home would become a reality.

Complying with the couple’s long wish list for design, Dreier created a masterpiece of indoor/outdoor living: a substantially sized home worthy of its remarkable site—at 900 feet above sea level, the highest point of buildable land on the coast south of Santa Barbara. The couple sought a welcoming interior that would elegantly incorporate living and entertaining space. They wanted to surround themselves with world-class art. Despite its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the home had to have a desert attitude, with abundant glass to capture the ever-changing natural light that bathes the site. They envisioned exciting landscaping and a large observation deck, where guests could mingle and take in the 270-degree panorama stretching from Mexico to Catalina Island.

Dreier didn’t disappoint. He delivered a contemporary estate stamped with his desert roots and penchant for bold forms and dramatic rooflines and entryways. There’s a conservatory with sliding-glass ceiling panels to grow and display orchids, and a large studio, where the artist paints her delicate floral watercolors.

The mountaintop home, built in stone, stucco, wood and metal, is alive in rich earth tones of gold and tan, highlighted with landscaping that has twice captured best-in-state honors for the owner and Brad Woodford, the landscape contractor. Water also plays a role in the environment. A serene pool and spa, though set behind the building to block chilly sea breezes, retain a magnificent view. On the main deck, a vanishing-edge treatment forms a waterfall that adds drama when lit in the evening.

Despite its massive footprint, the home “lives” smaller. The owners have been married 50 years, and this was the first home they had built. They weren’t sure what to expect when they moved to a house double the size of their old one. But they find themselves using all the space, which doesn’t seem so huge with a constant flow of friends, colleagues and families. They also loan the showplace for philanthropic events.

Dreier’s solid reputation is built on delivering total packages, including the interior design. But in this case, he had a team—a talented one, including himself, Fred Gemmell of Matrix Design Studio and the savvy homeowners.

Dreier created a sense of high adventure by eliminating walls. To make the great space intimate, he inserted large interior shapes—massive jutting walls, planters, room dividers and oversize ceiling elements that divert the eye. The big shapes are metaphors for high desert skies and flat open space. The home’s fireplace is a significant stone edifice; its low, notched firebox looks like a craggy break in a rocky outcrop.

Unlike many modernist homes, the use of polished stainless steel and muted gray colors is kept to a minimum. The main stairway leading to the upper level is the largest element incorporating stainless steel. The feel is warmer. As in a contemporary museum, visitors can spend hours inside this stunning home without feeling they’ve seen it all.

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