Condominium 1

Historic residential building in California, United States

United States historic place

Condominium 1

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Condominium 1

Show map of California

Show map of the United States

Location| 110-128 Sea Walk Dr., The Sea Ranch, California
Coordinates| 38°40′45″N 123°25′40″W﻿ / ﻿38.67917°N 123.42778°W﻿ / 38.67917; -123.42778
Area| 3.3 acres (1.3 ha)
Built| 1965
Architect| Moore, Turnbull, Lyndon, Whitaker
Architectural style| Third Bay Tradition
NRHP reference No.| 05000731[1]
Added to NRHP| July 29, 2005

Condominium 1 was the first unit in the Sea Ranch development on the Pacific coast of Sonoma County, California. The complex was designed by Charles W. Moore, Donlyn Lyndon, William Turnbull Jr. and Richard Whitaker of the MLTW partnership in 1963–1964, and was built by contractor Matthew Sylvia in 1965. The timber-framed structure overlooks the Pacific Ocean. It has been described as one of the most significant architectural designs of the 1960s in California,[2] and has received numerous awards.

## Description

[edit]

Condominium 1 is located on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific. It is a complex of ten condominium units, intended to be seen as a single structure. The design was inspired by barns and other farm buildings in the region and, with the help of landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, was built to take into account the local ecology.[3] The timber frame is clad in vertical redwood siding,[4] with vertical forms resembling mine structures anchoring a series of sloping roofs that descend toward the ocean, perforated by skylights. Windows are plain openings without trim or mullions. There are no eaves or significant fascia trim. On the uphill side the building wraps around a courtyard that houses the units' garages. Interior spaces feature the full range of MLTW-developed design elements.

The 10-unit structure was Moore's first major work. It exemplifies Moore's "shed style" with single-pitched roofs, board siding, and plain detailing. The style, with its emphasis on a partnership with the site, was a break from the International Style. The design principles established by Condominium 1 included the use of what Moore termed aedicules, small intimate spaces defined by four columns and a canopy, and "saddlebags", small projections of the interior space to the exterior that provide a view or a contemplative space.[5] The units are arranged with horizontal and vertical view lines through the space.[2]

## Reception

[edit]

The condominium was featured in an extensive public relations campaign to promote the Sea Ranch development and appeared in Newsweek, The New York Times, and Life, as well as design magazines such as Perspecta and Japan Architect. It received a design citation from Progressive Architect, a California Governor's Design Award in 1966 and an American Institute of Architects Honor Award in 1967. In 1991 it received the AIA Twenty-five Year Award and Moore was awarded the AIA Gold Medal. The structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[1][2]

## See also

[edit]

* San Francisco Bay Area portal

* Baker House, also in Sea Ranch and NRHP-listed
* Third Bay Tradition
* Sonoma County Historic Landmarks and Districts

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. ^ a b c Carlson, Pamela Joan (December 15, 2004). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Condominium 1". National Park Service. Retrieved May 6, 2012.
3. ^ Wiseman, Carter (1998). Shaping a nation: twentieth-century American architecture and its makers. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 278–279. ISBN 0-393-04564-1.
4. ^ Lange, Alexandra (May 20, 2014). "Why Charles Moore (Still) Matters". Metropolis. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
5. ^ Unwin, Simon (2010). Twenty Buildings Every Architect Should Understand. Routledge. p. 164\. ISBN 1-136-95505-4.

* v
* t
* e

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Topics|

* Architectural style categories
* Contributing property
* Historic district
* History of the National Register of Historic Places
* Keeper of the Register
* National Park Service
* Property types

Lists by state|

* List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state:
* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Mississippi
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nebraska
* Nevada
* New Hampshire
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* North Carolina
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Lists by insular areas|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Minor Outlying Islands
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* Virgin Islands

Lists by associated state|

* Federated States of Micronesia
* Marshall Islands
* Palau

Other areas|

* District of Columbia
* American Legation, Morocco

Lists of specific structure types|

* Amusement rides
* Jails and prisons
* University and college buildings

Related|

* National Historic Preservation Act
* Historic Preservation Fund

* National Register of Historic Places portal
* Category

*[No.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template