Trailblazing architect Lutah Maria Riggs was the first woman in California to be named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture. She designed this modernist Santa Barbara County home in the well-heeled enclave of Montecito in 1958 – and it’s now on the market for the first time in 50 years, listed for $7.5m.

Erdman House sits on four acres in the Birnman Woods area of Montecito, with far-reaching views of the Santa Ynez mountains and the ocean. While Riggs is best known for her Spanish Colonial Revival style homes, the post-and-beam property features a sleek, International Style of modernism.

The four-bedroom Santa Barbara property hugs the slope of its plot, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the gardens designed with Japanese shakkei principles of ‘borrowed scenery,’ incorporating the landscape into their composition. Sculptures also dot the grounds, creating a dialogue between the mountains’ monumental forms and the humanmade.

Erdman House’s U-shaped floor plan centres around a courtyard, swimming pool and eucalyptus grove. Living spaces extend to 8,743 sq ft, with black floor tiles, white walls and exposed beams creating a timeless canvas.

Susan Pate of Compass has the listing.

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