George Homsey, one of the architects behind Sea Ranch, was living in San Francisco when he started working on the now-legendary pioneering modernist architecture community in California. His home, set in Liberty Park, is an important example of The Third Bay Tradition; and now, for the first time since the architect's death in 2019, it has been rephotographed and its interiors seen by the public as it goes on the market.
Inside George Homsey's home in San Francisco
Built in 1961 on a sloped site, the house is made of organic shapes in natural materials – an indication of the explorations Homsey was delving into while working as an associate at the firm of famed Bay Area architect Joseph Esherick (more studios involved in making Sea Ranch were landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, and Charles Moore, Donlyn Lyndon, William Turnbull and Richard Whittaker – collectively MLTW).
The house, created for locally born Homsey and his family, is surrounded by trees, the site being a couple of blocks west of Dolores Park. Still belonging to the family, the structure is a remarkably preserved piece of modernist architecture - both externally and internally.
In tune with The Third Bay Tradition that guides the architecture at Sea Ranch too, the house features organic-inspired asymmetric forms. Inside, double heights and plenty of openings that bathe the interior in natural light define the atmosphere. Architect Charles Moore described the style as an 'instant tradition of shed-roofed, free-windows, sliced cubistic forms'.
Internally, rough-sawn Douglas fir wall cladding and framed views of San Francisco dominate. The ground floor includes the entrance hall, dining room, kitchen, garden room, and living room. A separate double-height volume connects these areas with Homsey's studio space upstairs.
Apart from this study, the upper level contains two bedrooms, a bathroom, a half bath, and the primary suite with dressing rooms and its own backyard access. A lower level floor hosts a flexible 'hobby' room.
-
‘Music is in the DNA of the brand’: AV Vattev on creating this year’s loudest accessoryRising London designer AV Vattev – who has recently outfitted Charli XCX and Troye Sivan for their viral ‘Sweat’ tour – talks about the influence of music on his ‘bold and unapologetic’ collections
-
The case of Casa Batlló: inside Antoni Gaudí’s ‘happiest’ workCasa Batlló by Catalan master architect Antoni Gaudí has just got a refresh; we find out more
-
Light up! Bard brightens the Scottish winter with a show of candle lightsBard in Edinburgh brings together 20 Scottish makers to reimagine the humble candleholder in an illuminating group show
-
Tekαkαpimək Contact Station: a building ‘as inspiring as the endless forest and waterways of the land’The new Tekαkαpimək Contact Station by Saunders Architecture with Reed Hilderbrand and Alisberg Parker Architects, opens at Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in the USA
-
Entelechy II: architect John Portman's majestic beach home hits the marketEntelechy II, architect John Portman's beach residence in Georgia, USA, goes on the market; roll up, roll up for a home that is as grand as it is playful
-
First look: Honolulu's Victoria Place blends cosmopolitan living with Hawaii life and natureVictoria Place is a new residential tower at Honolulu's Ward Village; take a first look at its interiors
-
Step inside a Brooklyn Brownstone that bridges old and new'Brooklyn Brownstone' has been refreshed by Jon Powell Architects (JPA) and the result is a contemporary design rooted in modern elegance
-
The new Frederic Church Center at Olana complements its leafy Upstate New York siteTour the Frederic Church Center for Art and Landscape, now open at Olana, a historic site in Upstate New York, courtesy of architecture studio ARO
-
On a sloped Los Angeles site, a cascade of green 'boxes' offers inside outside livingUnStack, a house by FreelandBuck, is a cascading series of bright green volumes, with mountain views
-
Soviet brutalist architecture: beyond the genre's striking imageSoviet brutalist architecture offers eye-catching imagery; we delve into the genre’s daring concepts and look beyond its buildings’ photogenic richness
-
Tour a warm and welcoming modernist sanctuary set on the edge of a Los Angeles canyonThe Rustic Canyon Residence by Assembledge and Jamie Bush brings together the very best of mid-century influences, with an added slice of contemporary Californian craft and style
