Pioneer utopian coastal community blends nature with commons & private space

[@truthbetold8915]

Breath-taking. I so enjoy your documentaries without background music. It's as if we walked and talked with these people and the landscape. Thank you.

[@fumusfumus]

Ever since university 50 years ago Sea Ranch, and this architect, Donlyn Lyndon, have been my biggest influence and aspirational goal for both my design and how I want to live. I’ve still not quite managed it so that’s what’s great about doing architecture. The next project embodies all that hope and potential. Great documentary of a great achievement. It’s all about lifestyle and atmosphere. Nature untamed. Thanks for the best film yet about it, and capturing Lyndon before it’s too late.

[@narphizoid]

Sea Ranch started, in many ways, as a "social experiment": Many of the comments above seem to lack knowledge of its history - that it was, in its day, about affordability and ecology. The fact that it survives is testament to its success despite radical changes in the makeup of American society, philosophy and economics. Having read much of the early documentation and commentary, this video provides a wonderful "update" to my knowledge.

[@ianlewismedia2333]

That was awesome just like most of your videos! My wife and I drove past The Sea Ranch last summer and we thought it looked like a dream place to live! To see it in detail is a privilege...thank you.

[@uptone12111]

Its not only the visual that makes your videos enjoyable. I like how the people seem so relaxed around you and are willing to be open and honest about their living spaces.

[@gwyndekker7361]

First saw Sea Ranch in the 80s but did not know what it was. Thank you for sharing the ideas behind the community. Loved it then and hoped to live along the California coast someday. Never managed the necessary income but DID manage to find my own "coast" along the Fox River in Illinois. Don't give up your dreams folks. Stay flexible and they will find you.

[@kirstendirksen]

I love the idea that you found your own part of the country at what you could afford that fulfills your needs. I don't think any place matches our ideals 100%, but I am always amazed at how people manage to get creative. From photos, the Fox River looks beautiful.

[@gwyndekker7361]

Thank you Kirsten. Selective vision helps a lot with the beauty. LOL Although I live in the 'burbs, I have only one neighbor. The river view is ever changing and we get interesting visitors now and then (a wolf last night). I've lost count of the beautiful sunsets that have blessed our eyes. Right now we have about four inches of new snow on the ground. My "happy place". I love visiting all the interesting places you find with your family! Thank you for sharing your adventures with us. :-)

[@MakeMeThinkAgain]

I've loved Sea Ranch since the beginning. Always have enjoyed driving through there and even stayed in a house there once. It surprises me that it hasn't caught on more.

[@sarjim4381]

You can only build on an available lot and there aren't many of those left.A lot of people bought up the lots surrounding their homes so no one will build too close. The population now is about 1400 and it's doubtful it will ever get much larger.

[@MakeMeThinkAgain]

+Sar Jim As true as that is, I wonder if it might not change a bit in the future. I suspect many of the people who bought up lots are getting older and when their property is eventually sold or inherited there people might put those lots back on the market. I would be surprised if that didn't happen.

[@oxxxeee]

Jim, Where are you getting all of your false information? Your Alternate Facts are impressive.

[@sarjim4381]

Stop trolling. Bill. If you have your own alternate facts, give them. Otherwise, take a hike.

[@kobenoyashi531]

I remember learning about this place in school! Such a great idea, I wish more planned communities took this approach.

[@plantsforlife1120]

You do excellent work Kirsten!! Just beautiful to watch and be inspired to live simply! Thank you.

[@tunafishjoe]

Love your work. I feel like I'm there. Your framing, editing, pacing, and audio are perfect. Thank you!

[@andreewert1142]

I love your work Kirsten..Bravo Again..I love the Philosophy of that Developer saying ..you own an indivisible part of the Commons''..it resonates with me..I like the idea of redefining the larger common experience... a great concept for fragile ecosystems , forests, coastlines

[@ralevdotcom]

The interior [ 15:16 ] was very rewarding, too. Another great video Kirsten & Team. Thank you guys!

[@ARealPersonNotABot]

What a cool gig. You get to travel the world checking out interesting spaces, and people. The travel must be expensive, but it seems like a great life

[@phillipperobinson769]

I think this is a beautiful concept. I like the community common areas and the buildings that romantically show the beauty of wood.

[@wg9601]

idk much about architecture or landscapes, but this guy comes off as my kind of guy! The doc really shown a light on this individuals great character and wealth of knowledge on housing and environments. Cheers, Kirsten!

[@misterosc]

of all the houses that you've shown on your channel over the years I think that last one is my absolute favourite, materials, design the style... I really love everything!

[@pikru88]

Hi Kirsten. Just wanted to say that I greatly admire all of your videos. I don't care, like some people in the comments if the spaces/ideas you show are dirt cheap or extremely expensive. I find some inspiration in every story you tell. Some of my ideas come straight out of your videos. My dream is to build a passive town house on a tiny lot within a city in Poland (like in your videos from Japan). Here, the people heads seem to be closed to anything different than first buying a 50-60m2 apartment brand new from a developer and then building and moving into a 1000m2 lot with a catalogue high energy demand brick home 20-40kms from the closest city with zero public transport. I'd love to shed light on other options in my surroundings and all your videos motivate and inspire me to do that. Thank you.

[@williamzavlaris4054]

I have been visiting Sea Ranch since its inception in the 1960's and the architecture and planning were and are still (even with later modifications) extraordinary. The original ideas were for simple houses not on the scale or price of a Del Monte Forest property. The market place changed this over time but even today it is not nearly as expensive as coastal property further south. I have even visited tiny cabins up in the trees at ridge level away from the coast that were very affordable. The area is not easy to get to and the weather tends to be foggy and windy but that is part of its charm. Nature still dominates here which is very hard to find around the metropolitan regions of California especially those in southern California. Also remember that it is not difficult to find house rentals for truly unique vacations, so while ownership may be out of reach for many the experience of the place is not. Bravo to intelligent design wherever it appears and thanks for posting this wonderful and insightful tour with one of the principal architects who helped make it happen.

[@mich3134]

Really like the ideology behind the aesthetic of the community

[@JEFFREY-c-ESTES]

I've been a fan of Sea Ranch and Donlyn's work for a long time. Seeing his Architecture and knowing his design philosophy, makes me not surprised at all that he is amused by a rock at 21:30.

[@angusdenny4422]

Thank you for sharing! I have always admired the principles and thoughtfulness of Sea Ranch.

[@duartepereira6416]

this is brilliant guys, thank you for the video. i had heard about the Sea Ranch before, but had never actually seen it. this is what i strive for, as an architect, and as a human..really. With a little bit more attention to Thermals..though. heh 2500 ppl is too many, for a commons to really work, imo.. but this is IT..right here. THIS is one of the best References on how to actually inhabit the Planet. thanks again cheers from Portugal

[@retrobebop61]

So beautiful!! So thoughtful. Thank you Kirsten!

[@melovescoffee]

Wow, truely one of the most beautiful living spaces i have ever seen. The windswept trees, the golden grass, the weathered wood. It gives me chills down my spine. Those houses are just funky, love them. I'm a big fan of open plan living. You're always caught between cursing it and loving it. I'm very fortunate i live in a similar situation, just on minimum wage. The absolute tiniest, cheapest, wonkiest, spectacularly funky open plan rat hole i could find with a full open view on the commons where houses will never be built. Golden, i'm so in love with it. And then i curse it because it's highly unfurnishable. :D Open plan definitely needs to be large to work well, or custom designed, which i'm not good at. Gosh, these interiors! Kissable! Nothing wrong with letting materials be themselves. There are always some people who just don't get that.

[@bheehive4497]

Yes the Sea Ranch is gorgeous! As a kid we would go and visit. Ummm sweet space in life and time can stop. Growing up in Santa Cruz things got very commercial compared to our three generational home on the beach. Yet something about Sea Ranch is timeless! Halfmoon Bay use to have a similar feel to Sea Ranch. Halfmoon Bay did get commercialized but not as bad as Santa Cruz! Thankful for the preservation of Sea Ranch and around it! Good interview!

[@anthonysinclair5721]

How could anyone dislike this place? jealousy?

[@michaelcsutton]

Brilliant. What an incredible place.

[@abialo2010]

Another wonderful video. Keep up the great work

[@bobv8219]

another very good video I used to dive for Abalone here and my sister Becky Woods lived about a mile-and-a-half up the hill from Timber Cove Lodge where she still works today 12-30-16 thanks again and happy New Year to you

[@DarkMage30000]

I like multi-purpose design of interior for efficient use of space as well as how well the buildings blend in the surroundings and add to the environment.

[@MaanelSitaBlueLily]

The land reminds me of my childhood in and around ottersberg. Lovely, thank you

[@paulaharmony]

Wow! me encanta cómo se "camuflagean" las casas con el paisaje. Beautiful! Saludos desde México.

[@leenorthcutt8421]

Yaaaay! This is so exciting, we stay there every year and rent/share several houses with other families. Abalone diving is Amazing and so are the trails! Thank you so much for doing this video!

[@Searanchabalonebay]

Be aware that they are discussing new regulations on ab diving! snip.ly/ibl8y

[@johnbrattan9341]

Thanks to all you abalone divers harvesting all the abalone....and trampling the shoreline , abalone diving has been suspended for at least 4 years. Humans do nothing but tear down and disregard the environment. And Sea Ranch is a prime example.

[@IsometricLight]

Gorgeous homes to complement the beautiful landscape! Great find!

[@TimazCimaz]

it's pretty amazing. I live on the other side of the planet and that place looks for me so surreal, like a star wars movie-scene.

[@Mayamcnicoll]

I always enjoy your videos Kirsten. Thank you for making them.

[@averyanovvasily586]

Stunning beauty! Thank you Kirsten!

[@MaxamillianStudio]

Beautiful buildings. I love the way the siding mimics the color of the landscape.

[@maartenarnou]

a visionary architect. wonderful!

[@Lotuslaful]

Beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for sharing.

[@robvannNS]

Seeing the number of recent fires in the North West tinder dry wood siding seems like an invitation to disaster..Corten steel and concrete, now that's the way to go. Love this episode because it brings back memories of the seventies when I was working in the Architectural field..

[@SimpleFull]

Ahhhh... I grew up in open space like this..🌳🌲🌲THANK YOU, another lovely video!

[@karltraunmuller7048]

Very enjoyable explanation of the idea of the place.

[@dylannnt]

I love how being rich helps you be sooooo philosophical

[@simongreenham]

Beautiful and fascinating like all your films, I 'd love to live there ...

[@georgewhitehouse8630]

Thank goodness

[@alexandrastratanphotographer]

loving the open spacial vibe here, stunning juxtaposition of chroma, in love with the plywood and I wish you would have expanded on the treatment of the plywood

[@もとのゆき-d7n]

本当素敵。内部空間が更に素敵なのがシーランチコンドミニアムの素晴らしい。 光の採り入れ方。陰影。内部空間の面白さ。コンパクトな中で見事としか言えません。

[@ubarhd1]

Great place and videography 👍🏻👏🏻

[@justiceunderstanding8863]

This channel is amazing, I imagine all architecture enthusiast watch your channel Kirsten. Seems to be a beautiful voyage you and your family are on. Have you built yourself a home somewhere?

[@bonilla2022]

Great ideas and video ! 8-)

[@margom2060]

Perfection...building without destruction

[@Hodad3000]

Beautiful.

[@aspensong]

I love this area!

[@xeftones]

So glad you don't have horrible loud music in the background

[@catherinenelson4162]

I wish we could see this at the time of year when the grounds are green!

[@balanceiskey9646]

Enjoyed, Thankyou.

[@michbishee]

Beautiful!

[@ubarhd1]

What a beauty 👏🏻

[@gocynthia]

So cool!

[@ohbbyilikeitrawr]

Excellent town planning :)

[@ursa4212]

Pure beauty.

[@johnbrown2163]

Wow! Sign me up. I love it...

[@coldvaper]

Wow I have lived in the SF Bay area all my life and never heard of this place. I really like it, I dare not look at real estate in that area though.

[@sportlol]

this channel is getting better. I only miss seeing some cattle in the land, that would help keeping the grass cleaner.

[@mitchcollins2947]

Love the concrete house.

[@starzbloom2454]

So beautiful. Wish I could live there.

[@WhyNot-zr5kl]

Gorgeous.

[@souixzeeq]

Love your videos, it's so diverse in living spaces. Good comments, controversy stirs up thinking and looking at things differently. Beautiful development but I would not want to live there.

[@elainemarie9470]

Lovely to see a San Fran hippie visionary make good. Not easy or simple to do. I am a native San Franciscan and I have always been passionate about ecological causes. The first Earth Day in 1970 inspired me, and I was fortunate to begin a career in environmentalism in 1976. I escaped the Bay Area in 1984. I never realized until I moved away, how snobby I was. I grew up in it, and didn't know better. Unfortunately, this screams elitism, especially since real estate is outrageous out there. Too bad a burp will take it down :( I'm surprised to see how foggy it was. Usually this time of year is when it isn't foggy on the coast line. Most of my family lives in the SF area, and I'm always delighted with the sunny beaches during my Thanksgiving and Christmas visits. Interesting to witness a person who chit chats in prose. LOL

[@sarjim4381]

Fall and winter days when there are no storms coming in tend to be the sunniest on the Sonoma Coast. From spring through summer, it's cold, windy, and foggy. There are also some very bad storms in winter. There's only one road in and out and winter storms can close that road for days at a time. You lose your power as well. Even a trip to buy groceries can be a real ordeal. The risk of wildfires in the dry season is every present. It's not a nice, gentle place, and people thinking it is don't stay for long.

[@oxxxeee]

Jim, it appears your agenda is to spread lies about TSR. Why is that?

[@juanmartinreborati7928]

Brillant!

[@confusedwhale]

I can see a work around for the no fence between your property and the commons. You set back the fence into your property, and then you have your fence between your property and your property.

[@samch5358]

Im in sea ranch now and I just saw this man but didn’t get a chance to talk to him!

[@Roobah]

I can't help but think that the commons area looks like a firestorm waiting to happen, given that most of the houses are made of wood, would be more fuel to the fire. Maybe a return of some grazing animals in the environment would be nicer? Rent some goats? Cows? Free-ranging chickens? Just enough to keep the meadows in check during the dry seasons. I really love the last house and the layered living spaces that ALL take advantage of the big window views.

[@basehead617]

I doubt much fire is ever gonna happen there, there's fog every day, its not dry

[@policarpiojrgonzales2349]

"I Was Paying Attention At Every Detail He Says... Well, Amen !" 😃😇

[@Creative-os3hx]

beautiful

[@43painter]

Nice! The nice man laughs like Philip Seymour Hoffman , which sounds nice.

[@christopheririon2542]

Wonderful profile. But what is with not naming Don Lyndon?

[@laurieedeburn2449]

thanks

[@Searanchabalonebay]

The essence of Sea Ranch is use of space within nature

[@FISHBREATHH]

Beautiful and cost prohibitive for most.

[@omfug7148]

I've known about this community for decades and yes, only the very affluent who can afford to live there.

[@fouroakfarm]

Its basically a retirement community for the wealthy in the middle of nowhere. Sonoma and Mendocino coast is very pretty but way too isolated

[@TheGranti7a]

omfug Bitch and moan. It just sounds jealous. Such a complacent consumerist view. Be inspired by ideas and possibilities. Look up information resources; do some research. Accept the challenges in your realty as part of the design/costs/building process. I see native woods, concrete, cinder blocks, plywood, etc., and thoughtful design coupled to craftspersonship.

[@briantrend1812]

just because someone notes that its expensive and only the affluent can stay there is not jealousy bitching or moaning ?????ZZzzz , wake up smartie pants

[@owenfrank5671]

TheGranti7a .. actually i really agree with your perspective on this. Perhaps this specific place has become expensive. But where there's a vision and a will, there's a way, no matter your current situation.

[@markifi]

any chance on covering Usonian homes?

[@もとのゆき-d7n]

敢えて厳しい環境に身を置いてみる。 という発想がもう凄すぎる。 金持ちになるとそういう考えも出てくるものなのか？と。

[@C0deH0wler]

I was like 'how will I sleep in privacy without a closed bedroom?'. Then I realised that sleeping on peak of some large stairs is actually a neat idea. No one's going to look from above because your are above. But, for the guest beds, I would rather have them in their own bedrooms under the middle stair, or around that area. It would be cool to have stairs digging into the big stairs leading to a small bedroom.

[@karen5022]

WOW NEED , MORE OF THIS IN DAKOTA

[@TheGranti7a]

I wish more Americans would accept the responsibilities in our shared freedom, to even educate themselves in the direction of this wellness.

[@RichieRouge206]

I’ve got a book about this and Seaside, FL. Great concept but as said pretty damn expensive

[@EdDunkle]

My problem with Sea Ranch is that it is basically a suburb. You have to drive miles to neighboring towns to buy anything at all. "Planned Communities" should be walkable, with grocery stores and the like. This is simply a beautiful collection of second homes for the wealthy.

[@Kikinahm]

Big & open but looks pricey. So enormous that iit feels like outside.

[@pollyzazakongsuwan3278]

wow very nice 😍

[@CrankyBubushka]

This is very pretty. But most people could never afford something like this.

[@Searanchabalonebay]

It is mostly a second home/vacation home location, though there are many who have retired to this area. Note that it is nearly 2 hours from a major city area (Santa Rosa) and 3 hours from SF. The home pricing can start at about 500K (Check Zillow for various properties.)

[@CaalamusTube]

$500k?! That's astonishing!

[@akindofmagick]

$500k won't buy you a hovel in the Greater DC / Baltimore area.

[@CaalamusTube]

akindofmagick ...& who wouldn't rather live here! I'd imagine the property taxes are horrible though!

[@bigguy321]

Actually, because of Prop 13 the property taxes will be 1% of the purchase price and can only be raised a small percentage each year.

[@Agentsanfrancisco]

Can an Artist build a larger pole barn on one of these lots?

[@BettyHaney101]

Nice ☺️

[@VisinskiRadoviBeograd]

But where's the fruits and vegetables, where are the no dig gardens, how these people eat, where do they get their food. This is so virtual.

[@Searanchabalonebay]

The town of Gualala is only 10 minutes away. They have 2 grocery stores there. Or you travel the 1 1/2 drive south to the larger city, Santa Rosa and shop at Costco and bring it back with you There is also a community garden that many of the full time residents use.

[@nonyobussiness3440]

Reminds me of Nantucket

[@thomastommy1192]

Who would a person contact to buy a home there?? What is the name of the community?

[@aeropilot4419]

Thomas Tommy Sea Ranch

[@dennis12384]

I just enjoyed your wonderful and insightful KZbin interview with a designing architect at Sea Ranch. I am partially familiar with the development and some of the early planners but was not aware any of the original group has survived. Who did you interview.....I look forward to your reply.

[@kirstendirksen]

It's Donlyn Lyndon (also mentioned in the text): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donlyn_Lyndon

[@emc3254]

I like this old dude

[@VAX1970]

Seems odd to put the houses so close together when there is so much space available

[@MsMesem]

That maximises the possible open area and sense of space and nature. Its the inverse of a normal suburb where the space is divided up and fenced between houses.

[@basehead617]

they're not that close together considering there's something like 2500 houses

[@Andy.Shapiro]

Not too big on the breaking the 4th wall by showing Kirsten filming. Its distracting. Cool videos though!