Thane Roberts designed this Santa Monica beach home, which embodies his ecologically-minded approach to architecture.

The LA County property sits on a wooded plot, not far from the beach and Santa Monica pier. Its wood-clad exterior and timber structure is reminiscent of an oversized treehouse, helped by the greenery that surrounds the windows.

Roberts designed the five-bedroom home in 1981 and it has been carefully updated since it was built, while staying true to Roberts’ philosophy of ‘living spaces that can nurture as well as shelter us.’ The piece of ‘evotecture’ is now listed for $3.8m with Deasy Penner Podley.

Living spaces are airy thanks to double-height ceilings and have a flowing layout. The upper levels of the house includes a studio space with ocean views.

Roberts said the Santa Monica property was designed to maximise the natural light and, according to him, it is bathed in the glow of the moon once the sunsets. As well as the connection with nature created by its sizeable expanses of glass, the treehouse home includes plenty of outdoor space with views of the nearby canyon.

Cornish fisherman’s cottage has views across Mount’s Bay