The hills are alive with … eco-conscious design.

High in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu, the architect Barbara Bestor created one of her few sustainable homes. Built in 2007, the Topanga compound consists of a contemporary main residence and a detached guest house, both clad in a white metal that reflects light and reduces heat gain. Inside, structural steel trusses pull double duty as industrial design flourishes, while passive systems maintain comfortable temperatures year-round.

For all its technical ingenuity, the home ultimately reads as a stylish retreat that embraces Southern California’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle. A prefabricated system was custom-adapted to prioritize open, airy spaces, including a sprawling great room with double-height ceilings. A striking double-sided fireplace warms both the living area and the primary bedroom on the opposite side, while the kitchen leans into color, with navy-blue modular cabinetry revealing a mossy-green interior.

The ground-floor primary suite is equally generous, with ample room for both a sitting area and a workspace. Its adjoining bathroom features a pink marble soaking tub and shower. A main-level guest suite includes its own kitchen—ideal for extended stays—while two stairways lead to a loft with flexible spaces that can serve as additional bedrooms or offices.

Out back, a 12-foot-deep shaded porch overlooks a pool that runs the length of the home. It’s an ideal spot to settle in on sunny days, though there are several other seating areas sprinkled across the nearly 1.4-acre grounds. In addition to the self-contained guest suite within the main house, there’s also a detached guesthouse with one bedroom and bath, plus a minimalist living area and a kitchen anchored by a cherry-red oven. The Topanga property is now on the market for $3 million with Modern California House. 

Bestor is acclaimed for her preservation of historic modernist homes, with high-profile clients who have included Donald Glover and Michael Govan. One of her projects—a renovation of a 1930s pad in L.A.’s Silver Lake neighborhood—hit the market earlier this year for $5.3 million.

Click here to see all the photos of the Topanga residence.