Primary suite
Bedroom to the sea.
Dark stone behind the bed, warm cove light, and glass held open to the horizon.
From open ground to a finished coastal house.
Site to structure
Inside the house
Seven rooms, one reading of place.
From the cliff edge to the private suite — materials, light, and views held in sequence.
Arrival
House on the cliff.
Blue hour across the coast — structure, glass, and a pool that holds the last light.
Kitchen & dining
Stone, wood, and the horizon.
A long island in dark stone opens to terrace water and the city below.
Study
A room for quiet work.
Lit shelves against raw stone, with the ocean kept close through full-height glass.
Theater
Cinema in stone.
Deep seating, warm cove light, and a screen wall set into textured rock.
Garage
Gallery for the drive.
Polished floor, stone light, and living room glimpsed through glass beyond.
Spa bath
Water and stone.
A long vanity, rain shower, and sky held in frame through floor-to-ceiling glass.
Living room
Light that keeps moving.
Warm rooms, long glass, and the house breathing with the evening.
Private suite
Bedroom to the sea.
Warm cove light, dark stone, and a quiet room held open to the horizon.
Coastal residential architecture
Build on the site — not against it.
Difficult lots, ocean exposure, and strict coastal codes demand more than a polished rendering. Meridian reads slope, setback, and light before a single line is drawn — so your home feels inevitable on the land it occupies.
What we do
Architecture services, end to end.
From the first site walk through permit sets and construction support — one studio, one continuous line of intent.
Site & feasibility studies
We evaluate slope, views, access, and local code before you commit to a direction.
Every project begins with the lot itself — grading limits, coastal setback, neighbor context, and the path of afternoon light. You receive a clear read on what the site can support, realistic timelines, and the regulatory path ahead.
Schematic design
Early massing, plan flow, and elevation studies that test how the house sits on grade.
We explore multiple orientations and roof lines against your program — bedrooms, gathering rooms, pool terraces — until the plan feels rooted in place. Sketches and 3D studies help you see volume, privacy, and view corridors before details arrive.
Design development
Materials, openings, and interior volumes refined into a coherent architectural language.
Stone, wood, glass, and steel are selected for how they age at the coast — not just how they photograph at dusk. Window sizes, ceiling heights, and room proportions are tuned so interiors borrow light from the horizon without sacrificing comfort.
Construction documents
Permit-ready drawings and specifications builders can price and execute accurately.
We produce coordinated plans, sections, elevations, and details with structural and MEP consultants. Clear specifications reduce change orders and keep the finished house aligned with the design intent through construction.
Interior architecture
Cabinetry, lighting, and fixed elements integrated with the architectural shell.
Kitchen islands, fireplace walls, stair rails, and built-in storage are designed as part of the house — not added later. We coordinate finishes and fixtures so rooms read as one continuous composition from entry to primary suite.
Landscape & outdoor living
Terraces, pools, and planting designed as extensions of the floor plan.
Infinity pools, fire pits, and planted paths are positioned for privacy, wind, and the way you move between indoors and out. Hardscape and planting palettes complement the architecture rather than competing with it.
Renovations & additions
Sensitive updates that respect existing structure while opening the house to light and view.
Older coastal homes often carry awkward plans and underused views. We reconfigure circulation, raise ceiling heights where structure allows, and add glass where code permits — without erasing the character that made you buy the property.
Permit & coastal review
Navigation of local planning, coastal commission, and HOA requirements.
Santa Monica, Malibu, and Palisades projects face layered review. We prepare submission packages, respond to planner comments, and coordinate with expediters when needed so approvals move forward with fewer surprises.
Core benefits
Why clients choose Meridian
We work with a small number of residential commissions each year so every project receives partner-level attention — from the first site walk to the last fixture selection.
Site-first methodology
Design decisions follow topography, wind, and light — not a template pulled from another lot.
End-to-end clarity
One studio carries the project from feasibility through construction administration, so intent stays intact.
Coastal expertise
Two decades of work along the Santa Monica–Malibu corridor means we know the codes, consultants, and builders who execute at this level.
Material honesty
We specify stone, timber, and glass for how they perform at the ocean — thermal movement, salt air, and the way surfaces catch evening light.
Responsive collaboration
Weekly updates, shared models, and on-site walks during construction keep you informed without overwhelming your schedule.
Builder-ready documents
Drawings and specs are coordinated for accurate bidding — fewer gaps, fewer surprises once shovels are in the ground.
Client experience
What clients describe
Clear communication from schematic design through construction
A house that feels custom to the lot — not imported from a catalog
Smooth coordination with engineers, planners, and the build team
Interiors that hold up at blue hour the way the renderings promised
Service area
Where we work
Meridian Architecture is based in Santa Monica and takes on select residential commissions along the Southern California coast — primarily Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Brentwood, and Santa Monica proper.
Related focus
Selected work
Houses that hold the horizon.
Selected moments from the cliff house — exterior and the private suite.
Cliff House
Pacific Palisades · Completed
Primary Suite
Santa Monica · Private rooms
Approach
One continuous reading of place.
The hero film is how we think: the lot becomes structure, then rooms that borrow light from the sea. Below is how that mindset carries through every phase of a commission.
Read the site first
We start with slope, wind, setback, and the way light crosses the lot — not a borrowed floor plan. Feasibility and massing studies come before finishes so every decision has a reason rooted in place.
Build in clear layers
Structure, envelope, and openings stay legible through design development. Builders receive coordinated documents; clients see how rooms connect to terraces, pools, and views as the design matures.
Finish for evening
Interiors are tuned for blue hour: warm cove light, stone that holds shadow, and glass that frames the horizon. Materials are chosen for coastal performance — not just first impressions.
Stay through construction
We remain involved during bidding and field work — answering RFIs, reviewing submittals, and walking the site so the finished house matches the intent you approved.
Contact
Start a conversation.
A residential architecture studio focused on modern homes that settle into landscape — from first sketch to the last evening light.
California Architect License #C-38492
Est. 2004 · Santa Monica studio
1847 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401