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Add Texture to GoogleNo single main facade has been chosen here. The name given to the property, La Casa Dei Quattro Orizzonti—the “House of the Four Horizons”—aptly conveys the refusal to prioritize any particular view. At 36 Old Landing Road in Tiburon, Marin County, the house does not present itself as a single block facing the water. It unfolds into four wings, like the blades of a windmill, surrounding a Zen-inspired garden. The property then slopes gently down to a private beach of fine sand on San Francisco Bay. Listed for sale on September 11, 2026, at a price of $17.5 million—approximately 16 million euros—it was already listed as “pending” in the real estate records by early October.
A windmill facing the bay
The floor plan is the first thing to understand. The architects describe a “pinwheel” layout: four single-story pavilions, each oriented differently, arranged around a central patio. No upper floors, no towers, no rooms perched high up to dominate the landscape. The house remains at ground level, letting the land do the work. The property is vast: approximately 5.33 to 5.34 acres—just over 2.16 hectares—mostly flat, with direct waterfront access, not far from Paradise Cay.
This winged layout has a practical benefit. Each wing has its own connection to the outdoors, and the open spaces between the pavilions become open-air rooms. The master suite thus opens onto an adjoining Japanese garden. At the entrance, an orchard welcomes visitors even before they reach the house. A vegetable garden, complete with aromatic herbs, occupies another part of the property. Toward the water, terraced steps lead down to the beach, with an outdoor spa along the way.
The design blends two architectural traditions: postwar California modernism, with its low-rise volumes and large windows, and a contemporary geometric precision inspired by Italy. This fusion is no coincidence, as the project was designed in Florence.
Designed in Florence, Built in San Rafael
The design is the work of Italian architect Andrea Ponsi and his Florence-based firm, Studio Ponsi. The design team included Scott Henderson, Federico Frittelli, and Davide Nigi. To move from the drawing board to the construction site on the other side of the Atlantic, the project relied on a local partner: the firm Jensen & Associates in San Francisco, which served as the construction architect, responsible for bringing the project into compliance with U.S. regulations. Construction was entrusted to the general contractor Red Horse Constructors, based in San Rafael, also spelled Redhorse Construction in some documents.
Official sources do not entirely agree on the exact completion date. The architect’s documentation places the completion between 2005 and 2008. The real estate listing, however, cites 2006. The discrepancy is minor, but it prevents us from pinpointing a definite year of completion. We can only say that the house was designed and built in the second half of the 2000s.
The construction project was accompanied by particular attention to the interior design. The woodwork was custom-made in Italy, a detail that extends the project’s dual nationality even to the closets and doors.
A House That Regulates Its Own Climate
Long before the term became a standard selling point, the house was designed according to bioclimatic principles. Natural ventilation is regulated by a system of shutters and ventilation vents—louvers that can be opened or closed to allow air to circulate. The walls are ventilated—that is, they feature an air gap between the siding and the wall—which limits heat buildup.
Energy comes from the sun. 110 m² of photovoltaic panels are integrated into the roof and glass canopies, with a stated goal: to cover 100% of the house’s electricity needs. This figure is given as a design target. No actual production data or measured consumption figures have been provided.
The materials follow the same philosophy of visible sustainability. The roofs are made of copper, a metal that develops a patina over time. The facades are clad with ventilated wood-slat siding. Ipé wood is sometimes cited, but the architect’s original description does not mention it and merely refers to wood slats: caution is warranted. Finally, large retractable glass walls blur the boundary between the pavilions and the garden, which gives full meaning to the windmill-shaped layout.
Read the specifications carefully
The house has five bedrooms. The listing details four full bathrooms and one half-bath, which some listings abbreviate as five bathrooms. A closed garage accommodates three vehicles.
The issue of floor area warrants closer attention, as two figures are circulating that do not refer to the same thing. The real estate agency lists approximately 6,721 square feet of living space, or roughly 624 m². The architectural firm, on the other hand, states a total built-up area of 850 to 900 m², or about 9,146 square feet. The difference is not due to an error: the first figure measures the interior living space, while the second measures the gross floor area, which includes elements not counted as living space. Adding the two together or confusing them would result in overestimating the house’s size by a good third.
That leaves the purpose of the reception rooms. They were designed with gallery walls, intended to house an art collection. This choice sheds light on the design concept: a single-story house with extensive glazing, yet one that still incorporates long, solid surfaces for hanging artwork. The balance between transparency and exhibition walls is part of the commission, even though the identities of the successive owners and any works that may be displayed have not been disclosed.
A Pending Sale
The listing was entrusted to Golden Gate Sotheby’s International Realty, with Stephanie Lamarre as the designated agent. The public launch took place via a press release on September 11, 2026, at a price of $17,500,000. Less than a month later, in early October, MLS listings indicated the property as “pending”: an offer had been accepted, but subject to conditions.
This status does not constitute a sale. As long as the conditions precedent have not been satisfied, the transaction could still fall through, and there is no way to confirm that the house has changed hands. The final price, if different from the listed price, has not been made public, nor has the identity of the prospective buyer. The speed with which the listing went “pending” is, for now, the only tangible indication of the interest it has generated.
For the future owner, whoever they may be, the legacy is clear: four single-story pavilions, each facing a different horizon, copper roofs, 110 m² of solar panels, and at the end of the terraced decks, a private stretch of sand on San Francisco Bay.