The Sea Ranch: Architecture, Environment, and Idealism

Distinctive architecture, uninhibited ocean views, bold supergraphics, shared open space, and meditative tranquility — these were the beginnings of The Sea Ranch, a beacon of Modernism on the Northern California coast. Designed by a small group of Bay Area architects and designers in the early 1960s, the development was envisioned as a progressive, inclusive community, guided by the idealistic principles of good design, economy of space, and harmony with the natural environment. Their vision of utopia hit a snag as it collided with politics, economics and drift from the original plan, but the present-day character still reflects the pioneering efforts of those who imagined it.