“One of the fundamental tenets of the philosophy that has guided the development of The Sea Ranch is that the landscape of bluffs, meadows and forest creates the special character unique to this community and should dominate all human endeavors. The siting and design of buildings and their accoutrements should be responsive to, and in harmony with, the landscape.”
— (Russell Beatty, Soundings, Fall 2000)
About The Sea Ranch
In the mid 1960’s, a visionary developer identified 10 miles of former sheep ranch on the Northern California coast in Sonoma County as the ideal place to create a planned community. He gathered a group of renowned like-minded professionals – landscape designers, architects, attorneys, planners and ecologists – to create The Sea Ranch, a place where homes and amenities are informed by nature and the environment.
This beautiful rural location evolved into over 2,200 acres of commons, a 50+ mile trail system, and a variety of facilities for owner and guest use. Comprised of over 2,200 homes and undeveloped lots, the basic premise of The Sea Ranch is to ‘live lightly on the land.’ This concept can be observed in the way materials and colors of the homes blend with the existent coastal zones and how owners maintain the initial planners’ ideals for environmental conservation.
Media
SF MoMA Presents: The Sea Ranch: Architecture, Environment, and Idealism
History and narrated walking tour: With Sea Ranch founding architect Donlyn Lyndon