It is tough enough to find ocean view property to buy – but building a 4500 square-foot dream home on a 30 by 60 sf. property is even trickier, particularly with space left for a back patio, interior garden and various front-yard tropical plants to keep the site green around the edges.

Broken lines and surfaces make the design dynamic on all fronts, both inside and out – a wood-and-white theme serving to further connect the interior and exterior, with linear wooden ceiling boards drawing one’s view ever outward.

One would never guess from looking at it just how much it pushes the building envelope in terms of bordering homes, vertical restrictions and relatively small lot dimensions (for a structure of its size anyway).

Rockefeller Partners designed the building to maximize ocean views and open spaces, taking full advantage of landscape elements and lines of site to make the rooms seem as big as possible and have the outdoors always close at hand.

The ultra-minimalist decor leaves something to be desired, perhaps, depending on your tastes, but the core architecture is dynamic and compelling in terms of layout, materials and three-dimensional design – especially the multiple deck, patio and porch spaces.

What more could you ask for: spacious living area and master bedroom, wonderful warm woodwork, modern architectural elements and (of course) tropical Malibu beach frontage right down the block.

You can bet this property did not come cheap, but at least the owners have (more than) made the most of their incredible investment (Images by Eric Staudenmaier).

“Located off a walk street with views of the Pacific Ocean and Malibu coastline, this residence is an exercise in careful space planning.  Working within the confines of a narrow 30 x 90-foot envelope, the design team pushed the house to the limits of height, width and depth, which left little perimeter space to satisfy the client’s desire for a garden.”

“The solution was to create an open green space in the center of the structure, at the ground floor level. On one side of this are the children’s rooms, on the other are the master bedroom and bath, which open to what has become an interior Zen garden.”