November2011SanDiegoMagazine.com 81N A CLEAR DAY, one can see all the way to Santa
Catalina Island from the classic Spanish ranch-
style home atop the hill in Cielo, Rancho Santa Fe.
Architect Paul Gallegos, principal at AlphaStudio
Design Group, says his team was able to maximize
ocean views by identifying peak view corridors
on the site. “It was important to the homeowners that their new
house have a seamless indoor-outdoor feeling,” says Gallegos.
“They moved from the East Coast and wanted to enjoy the year-
round beauty of San Diego’s natural environment,” explains Gal-
legos. Sweeping ocean views are just part of it.
The three-bedroom home incorporates a great deal of outside
space in its design. There is a sizeable outdoor patio by the pool, a
private garden, and a cozy sitting area with a tiled fi replace. “You
can be outdoors for all four seasons in San Diego and they hadn’t
had that opportunity before,” says Gallegos. The homeowners
told him they wanted a fi replace so they could relax outside withO