- Interior
The best way is the one you find yourself. Late architect Harry Gesner was iconic in this because his life reads like an adventure book. In 2022, he passed away at the age of 97, but his work lives on. We introduce you to Sandcastle, his own former home on the beach of Malibu. This is the shelter of a story about dedication and an ode to the freedom that creative passions can offer us.
Harry Gesner was born in 1925, in California. With an inventor and adventurer as a father and an artist as a mother, it is no surprise that he has a monumental creative legacy to his name. We know him for his extensive architectural oeuvre, which throughout the years would become typical of the local landscape of Southern California. The houses of his hand are known, among others, for their natural locations and the unusual properties that you find sometimes. Building homes nearby cliffs, canyons, and mountains he has done with great success and multiple times. After a life filled with seeking his passions and working out groundbreaking projects doing so, he died last year June tenth in the familiar environment of his own home – the design that we are presenting to you – named Sandcastle. This exceptional property is a sign of love for his wife, a token of his visionary creative power, and an example of his efficient use of recycled and at times unconventional materials. 
The best way is the one you find yourself
Sandcastle is a property on the beach of Malibu and served for years as the family home of Gesner, who built it in the seventies. The project did not steal its name since its shape is clearly inspired on a sandcastle. Loyal to his love of saving used matter, the house largely consists of all kinds of gleaned things. Maple wood from the gym of a high school, old telephone poles, windows and doors from silent cinemas from Hollywood, and more ensure that it is a residence like there are no two. Considering that, at the time, he did not dispose over the budget to commission someone to build the home, he did it himself with the stuff that he had gathered. When it comes to the design itself, the round structure is probably one of the most evident assets. Because of this, an amazing amount of space originated and you have a panoramic view of the continuous coastline. A terrace follows the sloping shape of the construction and offers a considerable number of square metres in open-air. The core of the home is the firm brick fireplace. The idea was that it would remind of the shape of the Hollywood Bowl amphitheatre and that his wife actress Nan Martin could use the large concrete surface in front of it as a stage on evenings when the couple was entertaining friends and family. 
The layout of Sandcastle contains, in addition to the central living area, three bedrooms, a garage with room for three vehicles, a storage for surfboards, two guest stays and an outdoor shower, among others. Special as well is the imaginative spiral stairs of which the steps are handmade and of driftwood. Ascending, you arrive in the small tower on top of the round body of the home, where the architect’s studio used to be located. In the living space, dark wooden beams result in an additional layer of homeliness, like the gathered collection of objects and decoration that has grown over the years. In each room, the materials and constructions proudly exude their ancient history and past, with the project being a brilliant fusion of all kinds of components as the result. Harry Gesner leaves a portfolio that speaks to every lover of experimental architecture, meaning that his creations live on and deserve a place in the collective memory. We will mostly remember the conceptual approach that gave way to the home and the dedicated methodology with which the architect raised it from the ground. Ranging from the beautiful location and the dared proportions to the honest philosophy and the inviting look, each aspect of this typical residence let us to foster a new admiration for an extremely talented, missed individual.
Curious for more? Read the full story in Imagicasa Autumn 2023.
Photography by Collin Erie
Text by Cara Jacobs