46 WINTER 2026 Legendary architect Malcolm Davis of MDa Studios in San Francisco designed a clean-lined oceanfront home where two cedar-clad volumes are bridged by corrugated steel to form an eye-catching entry. Inspired by the simplicity of the iconic 1960s Sea Ranch community in Sonoma County, Davis poetically blended the daily interplay of changing light with mindful indoor and exterior sequences, creating a magical living experience. Was embracing indoor-outdoor living an important theme for you to explore as an architect? Yes, the separation of volumes was fundamentally about creating clarity between public and private spaces while maintaining a strong indoor-outdoor connection throughout. The two-bedroom, two-bath residence structures its 1,800 square feet thoughtfully: one cedar-clad wing houses the social living spaces, while the other contains the private bedroom quarters. This physical separation allows each wing to function independently, with the light-filled link serving as both a threshold and a visual extension of the outdoors. Why did you decide to finish the entry in corrugated steel? We liked the honest, unfussy character of the corrugated metal. It feels inherently vernacular, with an agricultural quality that references local barns and sheds scattered throughout this coastal landscape. Just above Bodega Bay, there are expansive ranches dotted with low sheep sheds, simple structures with single-sloped roofs that speak to a practical, regional building tradition. We wanted to evoke that straightforward, unpretentious spirit while employing the material in a decidedly contemporary manner. The corrugated steel will continue to change over time, in conversation with the coastal environment. TEXT GWEN DONOVAN PHOTOGRAPHY JOE FLETCHER ARCHITECTURE MD a STUDIOS A m o d e r n r e t r e a t o v e r l o o k i n g t h e P a c i f i c i n n o r t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a f e a t u r e s a m i d s e c t i o n f i n i s h e d i n c o r r u g a t e d m e t a l , a u n i f y i n g t r a n s i t i o n p o i n t b e t w e e n t h e p u b l i c a n d p r i v a t e w i n g s . T h e t w o w i n g s a n d t h e l i n k s e r v e a d u a l p u r p o s e , a l l o w i n g f o r s e p a r a t e s o c i a l a n d p r i v a t e s p a c e s , w h i l e a l s o s e r v i n g a s a h i n g e p o i n t t o o r i e n t t h e w i n g s a t d i f f e r e n t a n g l e s i n o r d e r t o m a x i m i z e t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p t o t h e d r a m a t i c l a n d s c a p e b e y o n d . S O N O M A C O U N T Y , C A L I F O R N I A [THRESHOLDS]