ARCHITECT PROFILE

The CL:20 (Donaldson’s code name for the job) is fashioned with four “off-the-shelf” eight-foot steel moment frames that support the roof and allow for structurally sound glass walls that are earthquake resistant. The 14 x 40-foot structural system provides flexibility with the floor plan.

“The intention is that an all-glass box, that floats in the back yard, dematerializes,” said Donaldson, noting that the addition also created a courtyard space for outdoor dining and entertaining. Costs for such an addition are variable, depending on interior details, but the base unit cost is approximately $200,000, which includes electrical, plumbing, hookups, drywall, and flooring for the structure, which is built on site.

For this project, the architect and homeowner used as many reclaimed materials as possible. Solid Douglas fir was used for the bathroom counter. The reclaimed Douglas fir for the bathroom ceiling and walls came from the former Cal Poly Pomona bleachers.

“When the wood landed in my garage, it smelled like a gym!” Donaldson laughed. He and his carpenter planed the wood planks, erasing not only the seat numbers but the gymnasium smell, as well. The bamboo wall for the outdoor shower was constructed from a hedge that the City of Santa Barbara required him to remove.

Bathroom fixtures were sourced from Ferguson’s. Santori Woodworking in Lompoc built the custom cabinetry.

Donaldson “blew out the interior and opened all the walls.” The open kitchen features reclaimed Indonesian teak flooring, a Carrera marble island with waxed raw steel base, and appliances from Ferguson’s, including a glass-fronted refrigerator. Sliding, frosted glass doors with steel hardware allow light to flow between the kitchen, living room, and a hallway adding not only light between rooms but also an artistic element due to Donaldson’s clever design.

Floating the new addition in the back yard created several outdoor entertaining/ meditating options.

Opposite: A lap pool and spa add the perfect touch of modern to the back yard.

Texture and color play off one another in both the exterior and interior changes.

The front exterior was enhanced and modernized with waterproof, gray cement fiberboard panels placed over the existing plaster and painted a dark gray. The original size windows remained, due to zoning. Donaldson’s custom-designed steel frame boxes that protrude from the house and allow in as much light as possible are sculptural elements that add to the overall effectiveness of the facelift.

“When we bought the house, the previous owners tried to make it Spanish hacienda-style,” he said. “I made it contemporary.”

The water-tolerant Southwest garden and frosted glass garage door add to the curb appeal in front. A lap pool was also added in the relandscaped back garden.

The 60-year-old designer loves to collect mid-century, California-fabricated furniture, including pieces by his old friend Paul Tuttle (the Z chair came from the Barry Berkus estate), vintage Eames, and Bertoia. Favorite hunting grounds online include Firstdibs, Etsy, and Protoya.

Eryn Donaldson notes the ever-changing sunrise views delight from the glass-walled master bedroom framed by white curtains. “It feels like we’re camping,” she said.

“The glass walls bring a lot of light in and make the old ranch house really breathe,” her husband added.

Donaldson landed in Santa Barbara to attend USCB where he studied architectural history with the noted historian David Gebbard. From there it was off to the edgy architectural school Sci-Arc in Los Angeles before landing a job at the Pritzker prize- winning firm Morphosis Architects (“an architect’s architectural firm”). That job ended in Santa Barbara while working on the well-known/much-published 8,000-square-foot contemporary Crawford house in Ennisbrook. He then teamed up with Russell Shubin to open his own practice in 1990.

With one son now out the door (Reed, 18) studying electronic music composition and production at the Icon Collective in LA, and the other (Payne, 16) an avid competitive sailor attending Eureka, a private school in SB, Robin, Eryn, and Payne are looking forward with some mixed emotions to moving into new, equally cool downtown digs this July. Their new home will be part of the live/work complex that is the firm’s new Anacapa Studios: two office buildings, two 4,000-square-foot office building compounds, and their new 4,000-square-foot, three-story downtown pad in the SoCo (South of Cota) part of town.

“We’re heartbroken to be leaving CL: 20,” Donaldson said. “The creation was a labor of love, but the excitement of a new adventure at Anacapa Studios keeps us moving forward!”

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