Designing a new, 1,030-square-foot house at the famed Sea Ranch development on the California coast was more than a building process for Turnbull Griffin Haesloop.

Overlooking the craggy Washington coastline, this waterfront residence enjoys cinema-worthy scenery — but is subject to significant winds and extreme weather.

In his own 1952 home, Cliff May — father of the California ranch-house movement — designed an open-plan space divisible by movable walls and cabinets.