Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

A Prefab in Santa Ynez Provides a Retired Couple With the Perfect California Retreat

A Prefab in Santa Ynez Provides a Retired Couple With the Perfect California Retreat

On a remote hillside in wine country, a Los Angeles couple build an energy-efficient prefab with stunning views.

It was almost two decades ago when photo agent Michele Karpé and her husband, John Andrews, purchased a property in the rolling hills of Santa Ynez, California. While living in Los Angeles, they spent years visiting the remote land on weekends, taking in breathtaking views and dreaming of the day they’d be able to build a little getaway. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as they’d hoped.



Michele Karpé and her husband, John Andrews, spent years dreaming about building a retreat on their remote Santa Ynez property.

When they finally felt ready to build, they prepped the site, investing in a driveway to make it easier to traverse the quarter mile uphill from the nearest access road. They then drafted plans for a home and had them engineered, permitted, and even approved -processes that took a significant amount of time and financial investment-before learning that the costs to build would be more than double the estimate. Creating a home, they felt, was once again out of reach.



By constructing parts off-site on an assembly line, Connect Homes is able to dramatically cut down on construction waste.



The wide porch and pathway are designed to accommodate wheelchair access for Michele’s sister.



Connect’s decks-a design add-on-are made of the same steel frames as the interior modules. "Connect Homes’s steel frames mean that clients can put floor-to-ceiling glass anywhere around the perimeter of the house to connect to a view or outdoor space," explains company cofounder and architect Gordon Stott.

Instead of giving up, however, the couple began exploring other options; while at a Dwell on Design show at the Los Angeles Convention Center, they discovered prefab homebuilders Connect Homes. For Michele and John, Connect made total sense: They knew exactly how much the home would cost from their very first meeting.

For their Santa Ynez property, the couple chose the Connect 4, a 1280-square-foot, two-bed, two-bath model they customized with the addition of two covered decks. They also made the home wheelchair accessible to accommodate Michele’s sister, who has multiple sclerosis. "She can walk with a walker, but given the uneven ground in the country, I was projecting that wheelchair access would be better," says Michele. "It only takes two steps to get down to the house after grading and landscaping."



The full-height glass sliders open the home a panoramic view. With the sliders open, a wood-burning stove centers an indoor/outdoor living area.



"We also can shrink this model down slightly to hit California’s 1200-square-foot accessory dwelling unit maximums and make this house an ADU," shares Stott of the Connect 4 model.



Connect Homes designed and installed all the built-in cabinetry in the kitchen.

Floor-to-ceiling glass sliders open the home onto the wide, covered decks, providing panoramic views of the stunning property. "The client made so many good design choices," says architect Gordon Stott, who cofounded Connect with fellow architect Jared Levy in 2013. "From the black finishes to just the right amount of glass, and the daring placement of the stove."

In the living area is a Morsø wood-burning stove positioned up against the glass sliders. When the sliders are open to the deck, the stove anchors one huge indoor/outdoor lounge space. "I was worried that it would be weird, but it’s absolutely perfect," Michele says. "That stove kept us warm all through the cold winter. It heats up the whole house."



With two beds and two baths, the Connect 4 model is a perfect retreat for Michele and Andrew. "For such a small house it has very good closet space," says Karpé.



The home is topped with a white roof that deflects heat, keeping temperatures cooler inside.

The home, says Michele, regulates temperature with a white roof, and is well insulated thanks to triple-glazed sliding doors. "We have arrived in the middle of 100-degree weather when the house has been closed up for days, and inside it would be 20 to 25 degrees cooler."

Along with energy-efficient designs and up-front pricing, Connect prides itself on an assembly-line process that enables the company to build quickly, and more sustainably. Stott estimates that by building in a factory, they’re able to cut down on construction waste by 60 percent when compared with more traditional building methods.



"We’ve realized the only essential customization we need to offer in our standard home plans is the ability to put glass anywhere, connecting to the outdoors anywhere on the perimeter of the house that the client or site dictates," says Stott.

After the offsite construction of Michele and Andrew’s home was complete, Connect installed the design on the Santa Ynez property in just three hours. In a stroke of perfect timing, the home was completed just before the pandemic, making it the perfect refuge for the now-retired couple.

"Living with a view from almost every room in the house is my favorite," says Michele. "Connect Homes did a great job of positioning the house and the windows. We have a lot of wildlife in the area and there is always something to see."



Santa Ynez Connect 4 Floor Plan

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Man Convicted of Fraud After Booking Over 120 Free Flights Posing as Flight Attendant
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Beata Thunberg Rebrands as Beata Ernman Amidst Sister's Activism Controversy
Hungarian Parliament Approves Citizenship Suspension Law
Prime Minister Orbán Criticizes EU's Ukraine Accession Plans
Hungarian Delicacies Introduced to Japanese Market
Hungary's Industrial Output Rises Amid Battery Sector Slump
President Sulyok Celebrates 15 Years of Hungarian Unity Efforts
Hungary's Szeleczki Shines at World Judo Championships
Visegrád Construction Trends Diverge as Hungary Lags
Hungary Hosts National Quantum Technology Workshop
Hungarian Animation Featured at Annecy Festival
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
UK and EU Reach New Economic Agreement
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
UK and EU Reach Agreement on Gibraltar's Schengen Integration
Israeli Finance Minister Imposes Banking Penalties on Palestinians
U.S. Inflation Rises to 2.4% in May Amid Trade Tensions
Trump's Policies Prompt Decline in Chinese Student Enrollment in U.S.
Global Oceans Near Record Temperatures as CO₂ Levels Climb
Trump Announces U.S.-China Trade Deal Covering Rare Earths
Smuggled U.S. Fuel Funds Mexican Cartels Amid Crackdown
Austrian School Shooting Leaves Nine Dead in Graz
Bezos's Lavish Venice Wedding Sparks Local Protests
Europe Prepares for Historic Lunar Rover Landing
Italian Parents Seek Therapy Amid Lengthy School Holidays
British Fishing Vessel Seized by France Fined €30,000
Dutch Government Collapses Amid Migration Policy Dispute
UK Commits to 3.5% GDP Defence Spending Under NATO Pressure
Germany Moves to Expedite Migrant Deportations
US Urges UK to Raise Defence Spending to 5% of GDP
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Low Turnout Jeopardizes Italy's Citizenship Reform Referendum
Transatlantic Interest Rate Divergence Widens as Trump Pressures Powell
EU Lawmaker Calls for Broader Exemptions in Supply Chain Legislation
France's Defense Spending Plans Threatened by High National Debt
European Small-Cap Stocks Outperform U.S. Rivals Amid Growth Revival
Switzerland Proposes $26 Billion Capital Increase for UBS
×