When he’s not busy crafting the design of Tesla’s latest electric vehicle, Franz von Holzhausen is using the notable wealth he’s accumulated as Tesla Motors’ longtime head designer to scoop up architecturally significant SoCal properties. Case in point: this 1960s Malibu estate that was stripped down to the studs in 2009 and reimagined from the ground up by W3 Architects, which he and wife Vicki picked up this month for $23.1 million — a big discount off the original $29.5 million ask — and Richard Neutra’s iconic Tremaine House in upscale Montecito, which that he bought for exactly $12 million less than a year ago.
After launching his career at Volkswagen in 1992, von Holzhausen worked on the New Beetle before making the move to GM and later Mazda. It’s his Tesla craftsmanship, though, that made him a bonafide auto design rock star. The 53-year-old Syracuse grad has created all of the company’s mass-market production vehicles to date, including the Model S, X, 3 and Y, along with the unveiled but not-yet released Cybertruck, Semi and second-generation Tesla Roadster. Keeping it all in the family, Vicki von Holzhausen also is a well-known designer, spearheading the von Holzhausen fashion label centered around vegan leather products made from plant-based materials.
As for the couple’s most recent acquisition, the gated estate was sold to them by “Wonder Years” creators Neal Marlens and Carol Black, who had owned the property since 2004. The house rests on a nearly 2-acre blufftop parcel of land in the tony seaside community of Encinal Bluffs, complete with panoramic ocean views and direct beach access. But that’s not all — the structure also incorporates the latest in sustainable technology, including large expanses of southern-facing glazing for optimum solar gain; an in-floor hydronic radiant heating system; a 3,000-square-foot green roof planted with native grasses; a mezzanine-level reading loft that serves as passive exhaust for the main level; and an array of solar panels for every energy need.
Sandro Dazzan and Billy Rose of The Agency served as the listing agents, with Aaron Kirman of Compass repping von Holzhausen.
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Image Credit: Redfin Originally a 3,800-square-foot ranch house, built in the Spanish style in the early 1960s, the reworked and expanded estate now features a main residence offering 5,000-plus square feet of modern living space punctuated by light and bright interiors, soaring ceilings, gallery walls and seamless indoor-outdoor environs.
Among the highlights: living and dining rooms that open via floor-to-ceiling pocket doors to an expansive terrace ideal for entertaining amid the ocean views, along with a professional chef’s kitchen.
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Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin Four ensuite bedrooms can be found in the main house, including a secluded master suite with terrace access and ocean views; and the aforementioned second-story, glass-walled loft overlooks the planted “living roof.”
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Image Credit: Redfin There’s also a one-bedroom guesthouse adjacent to the pool, which comes complete with a spacious living area, kitchenette and full bath.
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Image Credit: Redfin The undeniable star of the show? The endless, lushly planted grounds, which are spotlighted by a pool and spa — warmed by an active solar thermal water-heating system — as well as numerous al fresco dining areas, a fireplace, sports court, organic vegetable garden and tree-lined stone pathways, and most importantly, parking for 25 cars … all of them, I assume, of Tesla variety.
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Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin -
Image Credit: Redfin The von Holzhausens are veteran Malibu residents. In addition to their new $23 million digs, they’ve also long owned a landlocked, three-house compound much closer to the bustling downtown area of the seaside community.
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Image Credit: Redfin