"The region’s natural beauty, earthy tones, and sun-faded wooden architecture shape the line’s aesthetic," says Ron Balatbat, AG Men’s Design Director. "An aesthetic which comes to life through sun-bleached denim washes, weathered textures, and muted colors that merge the natural beauty of Sea Ranch with the casual, laid-back spirit of California."
Sea Ranch, located on a nonpareil stretch of this rugged coast, is one-of-a-kind. Its founders pioneered an architectural design that seamlessly blends with the natural landscape. It’s one of the earliest examples of large-scale environmentally conscious development. A model for sustainable design practices. A haven celebrating living in harmony with nature. The site was developed with a strong focus on minimal impact on the environment, including careful land planning, native vegetation restoration, and underground utilities.
This community harks back to the 1960's when an emerging local environmental movement melded with the principles of Modernist design and Northern California vernacular architecture. A minimalist aesthetic that prioritized clean lines, geometric shapes, open spaces, and practicality over excessive ornamentation.
Maverick developer, Al Boeke assembled a team of Bay Area architects, innovative young Turk Charles W. Moore, Joseph Esherick, William Turnbull, Donlyn Lyndon, Richard Whitaker, and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin. They were tasked with transforming what was then a dilapidated sheep ranch into a hamlet of homes with a community center. While some of its then radical ideas later became mainstream, this planned community stands as a departure from conventional luxury resort and suburban real estate developments of that era.
The notion of “living lightly on the land”— a practice attributed to the Indigenous Pomo people of Northern California — guided the overall design and values of Sea Ranch. The founders embraced sustainability here long before the word became part of our everyday vocabulary. A covenant even promoted owners as stewards of the land. Cooperative living meant oceanfront, of our everyday vocabulary. A covenant even promoted owners as stewards of the land. fields, and walking trails were designated “commons” areas.
The original homes are small and rustic, clad in redwood, with sloped shed roofs and cypress hedgerow buffers. Decades later, the dwellings look timeless. Less is daintily more. Today, larger houses exist on site, but for purists, the ideal building was “one you don’t see". These original houses both stand out but blend into the landscape. As if they grew organically from the rugged coastline, these homes continue to set a high standard for eco-conscious development and shared living.
Janet O’Grady is a writer, curator, and brand consultant focusing on luxury lifestyle and travel, design and culture, food and wine, and wellness. She contributes to the Wall Street Journal; the New York Times and its T Magazine; Centurion and Departures International Magazine; and more. Previously, she was a co-founder, creative director and editor in chief of Aspen Magazine. She divides her time between Aspen and NYC.