A modern and minimalist white box volume sits serenely on Northern California’s coast. The 6,700 square-foot, three-level rectilinear Pebble Beach House was designed by San Francisco-based architect Jim Jennings. You might be familiar with Jennings’ work after we published his striking Desert Retreat in our book, Selection: Architecture. He is renowned for precise clean lines and simple geometric volumes that balance mass and white space, particularly in his residential projects.

The levels of Pebble Beach House are joined by a central stairway whose obscure-glass tower diffuses natural light through the building to its lowest level. The upper levels are designated for the master bedroom and bath and two smaller bedrooms, all of which have their own outdoor terraces. On top of this floor are the primary social spaces: the family room and kitchen, plus the dining and living area, which opens onto terraces facing north, east, and south. The materials of aluminium and stone (two varieties) define the interlocking forms of the building, with subtle differences in colouration creating an exterior palette that synchronises with the environment.

One of the distinct features of this muted and modernist dwelling is the garage’s hydraulic bi-fold doors, which are clad in aluminium panels (closed and opening), with the upper portion concealing another terrace. The discreet entrance leads to a vestibule, where you encounter the integral central staircase that features wood treads cantilevered from steel-framed walls wrapping around a freestanding glass tower.

Pebble Beach House is an example of uncompromising simplicity and linearity that abides by strict modernist principles and showcases a consistent design language seen throughout Jim Jennings’ work.