San Diego architect Jonathan Segal took a minimalist approach to designing his own beachside home, as much out of style as necessity. Along the row of mansions lining La Jolla’s Avenida Cresta, he and his wife, Wendy Segal, found a neglected lot that measured a meager 5,000 square feet — half to a quarter of the size of those of their neighbors. “Because the property was so small, we had to keep the house as open as possible to make it feel larger than it actually was,” says project manager (and son) Matthew Segal. Guided by the site’s size constraints and picturesque views of the beach, the design team chose to work primarily in just two basic materials: glass and cast-in-place concrete. “Concrete is able to cover larger expanses with less structural elements,” says Segal, and for this project they used a warm tone made with locally sourced minerals. “We were attracted to its natural texture. It’s an earthy material.” Capitalizing on the perpetually warm San Diego climate, they were also able to wrap 70 percent of the exterior walls in glass. They used the Western Window Systems 600 Series doors and ...
San Diego architect Jonathan Segal took a minimalist approach to designing his own beachside home, as much out of style as necessity. Along the row of mansions lining La Jolla’s Avenida Cresta, he and his wife, Wendy Segal, found a neglected lot that measured a meager 5,000 square feet — half to a quarter of the size of those of their neighbors. “Because the property was so small, we had to keep the house as open as possible to make it feel larger than it actually was,” says project manager (and son) Matthew Segal. Guided by the site’s size constraints and picturesque views of the beach, the design team chose to work primarily in just two basic materials: glass and cast-in-place concrete. “Concrete is able to cover larger expanses with less structural elements,” says Segal, and for this project they used a warm tone made with locally sourced minerals. “We were attracted to its natural texture. It’s an earthy material.” Capitalizing on the perpetually warm San Diego climate, they were also able to wrap 70 percent of the exterior walls in glass. They used the Western Window Systems 600 Series doors and ...