Prime by Samantha Mink and Terremoto

In southern California, Prime by Samantha Mink features a hyperlocal planting scheme by Terremoto – in collaboration with Sushwala Hedding – that appears to be forged from the ground.

Situated on an alluvial fan near the Los Padres National Forest and conceived in response to a centuries-old oak tree on the site – which is nurtured by a high water table – Prime is inextricably linked to its natural surroundings. It was designed by architect Samantha Mink as a holiday home for her Los Angeles-based parents and as a place for their family to gather and reimagine childhood memories of summers spent in the Ventura area.

The resulting residence is defined by a 37-metre-long rationalised concrete volume with a “warmer wood version latched onto it”.

“The Ojai Valley is a land of extremes,” says Mink. “Joan Didion wrote eloquently about the catastrophic nature of living in California, which very much applies to this region.” She is referring, in part, to the area’s sometimes unforgiving conditions and extreme weather events, two of which she encountered during Prime’s 10-year process: the Thomas Fire that ripped through in 2017 and the floods that followed in 2018. Pair these events with a global pandemic and rising costs and Prime was defied from the outset. However, Mink’s emotional connection to the project, patient and trusting clients and a resilience shared by the entire team saw it completed in 2022.

The resulting residence is defined by a 37-metre-long rationalised concrete volume with a “warmer wood version latched onto it”. A pool runs the length of the rear facade like a protective, meditative moat, and a hermetic concrete vestibule – considerably taller than the height of the primary volume – slices through the building at a perpendicular angle, forming a crucifix. The narrow passageway it creates holds a channel of water, which connects the pool to the hot tub at the crucifix’s apex. Burrowed deep into the earth and only accessible by water, Mink likens it to “a conversation pit in a different context”.

Californian modernism and Shaker-style influences converge with a heavy use of Douglas fir, oak, concrete and glass, creating a cosy yet elevated effect recalling Ojai’s arty history.

This concrete vestibule also acts as an important divide in the architecture, separating Mink’s studio to the east from the rest of the home to the west, including living spaces and suites for her brother and her parents, as well as a walled garden. Californian modernism and Shaker-style influences converge with a heavy use of Douglas fir, oak, concrete and glass, creating a cosy yet elevated effect recalling Ojai’s arty history. South-facing, timber-framed windows and doors open directly onto the pool, reinforcing the constant and calming presence of water. What’s more, the gardens unfurl from the home’s edges as if ubiquitous to the site, and views from almost every room capture the oak’s leafy canopy or twisting trunk nestled beyond the Where the Wild Things Are-inspired meadow.

Though the landscaping reads holistically, there is a contrast between the planting palettes at the front and rear. Rachel Tucker of Terremoto explains that the former, which is low and muted, is intended to envelop yet ultimately champion the architecture. Hummingbird sage creeps low to the ground, California fescue droops in clusters and boulders gleaned from the site demarcate a path to the front door. “We wanted it to feel very tight and soft textured, so there’s a bunch of different buckwheat species and grasses to complement the existing grove of oak trees along the street,” she says.

Hummingbird sage creeps low to the ground, California fescue droops in clusters and boulders gleaned from the site demarcate a path to the front door.

At the back, a vibrant Californian meadow with additional boulders – some the size of a small car and others the palm of a hand – is not only contextually relevant but highly functional; it helps to collect and control grey and storm water and responds well to the damp conditions created by the high water table. Most importantly, the wild and free-flowing meadow ensures the staggering oak tree is the protagonist.

“We thought deeply on the meadow and, of course, wanted to respect the oak, so we kept it low and ground-covered around the base, with a soft, long and weepy grass and some other meadow-friendly plants sprinkled in,” says Tucker. Succulents and densely planted native species enclose the firepit and side yard, allowing for gently defined outdoor programs, and a modest, mowed pathway leads back to the inviting dwelling.

Succulents and densely planted native species enclose the firepit and side yard, allowing for gently defined outdoor programs, and a modest, mowed pathway leads back to the inviting dwelling.

Although Mink describes Prime as simple, it’s ambitious. Multilayered and nuanced in its interaction with the site, there is the sense that she – as both the architect and clients’ daughter – has grappled with a decade of decisions to deliver a project that is resonant and liveable. The deep respect for the site’s natural conditions and commitment to understanding the valley’s microclimate are fundamental to this, as is the intent with which the project has been pieced together, from the burrowed-out boulders thoughtfully placed on the earth to the deliberate rapport between the built form and the oak tree. As if addressing these intricacies, Mink also describes the project as transformative, and that’s much easier to subscribe to.

Architecture by Samantha Mink. Build by Steve Schneider and Andrew Stasse. Landscape design by Terremoto and Sushwala Hedding.