Famous architect’s extraordinary Ojai estate is on the market for $10.5M

When a world-renowned architect builds a home for himself, you can be certain it'll be more than just "special"—it's likely to be spectacular.

Celebrated architect Scott Johnson's remarkable Ojai Valley retreat is a case in point.

The critically acclaimed modern country home was built in 2016 by Johnson and his wife, Dr. Margaret Bates. It features a distinctive 300-foot-long corten steel wall with narrow and deeply framed windows. It's now available for $10.5 million. Johnson's firm, Johnson Fain, has created many landmark buildings. They include Fox Plaza (famous for its appearance in "Die Hard"), the Opus One Winery, and CAA's Century City Headquarters. The 9,293-square-foot home, which Johnson recently listed, has been featured in Food & Home Magazine, Archinect, Ventana, Fast Company, and other prominent publications. Inside, a long floor-to-ceiling glass wall dramatically opens the house to the rear yard. The main residence boasts three bedrooms and 3.5 baths, as well as an office/media room, wine cellar, bar, and chef's kitchen. But it's the expansive great room that really captures the imagination. There are no columns supporting the ceiling, which is hung between two massive board-formed concrete walls. The eye-catching ceiling, which is made of Douglas fir, is naturally ventilated by an automated clerestory system. It allows for changing patterns of light throughout the room. The property includes two other buildings: a spacious art studio with sliding walls of glass to the north and a guest suite/dance studio and an open-air pavilion to the south. The estate is situated on a secluded 11-acre, low-lying meadow surrounded by creeks streaming from the Los Padres National Forest into the nearby Ventura River. The acreage includes 200 native oak trees and peach and apricot orchards. In addition, there's a harvestable year-round garden located just outside the kitchen. Other outdoor amenities include a 75-foot-long pool, a fireplace, and a kitchen with a wood-burning grill and pizza oven.
The compound is close to hiking trails, farmers markets, and restaurants and shops in the Ojai Valley.

You might be wondering how the famed architect and his wife could bear to part with their beloved home.

The answer is simple: "It was built to be a family house—a place where the extended family would gather during the holidays and celebrations," says the couple's representative. "Now that the kids have families of their own and Scott and Margaret aren't traveling as often, they've decided to sell it."

Aaron Kirman and Danelle Lavin of Aaron Kirman Group at Compass have the listing.
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