Sacramento man buys famed architect’s 30-acre Big Sur home with ocean views for $4M

A Sacramento man has bought the 30-acre Big Sur estate of architect Mickey Muennig — perched 1,500 feet above the ocean and featuring a home built into the mountainside with an arched skylight, a sod garden roof and a separate glass house — for $4 million, according to Michael Yarmolyuk of 1st Choice Realty & Associates.

“(The) buyer loved the view of the coast line, from so high up on the ridge—it is breathtaking,” Yarmolyuk told the Sacramento Bee. “His favorite features besides the view is the very unique architecture that the property has.”

Muennig, often referred to as “the man who built Big Sur,” purchased the property at 50854 Partington Ridge Road when he first visited the region in the early 1970s, according to Sotheby’s International Realty, which held the listing. He had lived there ever since, until his death in June 2021 at the age of 86.

“Recognized as one of the top 100 architects in the U.S., Muennig helped shape California’s take on the organic architecture movement by building much of the architecture we see in Big Sur today, including distinctive homes built into hillsides and cantilevered on ocean bluffs as well the iconic luxury eco hotel Post Ranch Inn,” according to a news release on the listing.

“The thing about this property is that it has so much,” Yarmolyuk said. “Three very unique structures, walking areas throughout the land, views onto the forest as well as the ocean, your very own fishing pond and so much more. The architect Mickey Muennig was known for his living architecture style and this property shows it. You incorporate living inside as well as outside with the outdoor shower and unique sitting areas, (that) is what makes this property that much more unique.“

The Sacramento buyer wishes to remain anonymous, Yarmolyuk said.

In all, the home has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,000 square feet of living space.

Along with the primary home and the glass house, a multi-level caretaker’s house with ocean views can also be found on the land. The home is accessed by a private, paved, gravel and gated road. A secluded pond offers swimming in the summer.

“At just under 30 acres, there are sunlit ridges, magical redwood and oak forests, plenty of flat usable land by Big Sur standards, a peaceful year-round pond which is ideal for swimming in the summer months, and expansive views of the coastline north, south, and west to the setting sun,” according to the official property listing. “Here, one can unwind in the quiet serenity of nature at its purest, where often the only sounds to be heard are from the native animals, and the waves crashing below.”

The three distinct Muennig-designed dwellings use passive solar heating, where the home absorbs and collects solar energy right through the windows without the need for panels.

While the main house was under construction, Muennig built the glass-domed hut to serve as temporary accommodation. He ended up living there for more than 18 years before finishing the main residence. Sixteen feet in diameter, the glass structure is referred to as “the Big Sur Greenhouse” and features natural stone walls, an incredible suspended bed and glass tepee-style roof.

Yarmolyuk said the buyer is really looking forward to sleeping in the bed under the glass dome.

The main residence sits above the fog line. The eco-friendly house shows off natural building materials, such as wood, concrete and stone.

The circular caretaker’s cottage, designed by Muennig in collaboration with his daughter, Michele, is a multi-level home offering ocean views from every story and an open-air bath house where “one can fully engage in the natural beauty of this exceptional property,” according to the news release.

The selling price was drastically lower than the asking price of $6.95 million, when the Sacramento Bee first wrote about the iconic property in February.

“We are not surprised, it was a strict numbers play here,” Yarmolyuk said. “The negotiations were long, but both parties worked to make this deal happen.”

Jeannie Ford of Sierra Sotheby’s International Realty represented the sellers.