Manka’s Inverness Lodge
Manka’s is a Northern California restaurant and lodge that pioneered the concept of locally sourced food through relationships with farmers, fishermen, and artisans. The original lodge structure, a roadhouse built in the 1920’s and set in the wooded hills above Tomales Bay, was destroyed by a fire in 2007.
We worked with the owners, a husband and wife team, to design a new lodge that would be built on the same site and in the spirit of the original Manka’s. We also worked closely with the local planning authorities to adapt the design to unique zoning and code requirements.
The new design focuses on elements that made the original experience unique: a warm, intimate dining room and lounge downstairs, exterior porches and balconies, and cozy, rustic guest rooms upstairs with views over the bay. We developed the concept of a central “core” for the building, a concrete structure that houses fireplaces and nooks, and provides the visual and structural bones of the lodge.
We worked with the owners, a husband and wife team, to design a new lodge that would be built on the same site and in the spirit of the original Manka’s. We also worked closely with the local planning authorities to adapt the design to unique zoning and code requirements.
The new design focuses on elements that made the original experience unique: a warm, intimate dining room and lounge downstairs, exterior porches and balconies, and cozy, rustic guest rooms upstairs with views over the bay. We developed the concept of a central “core” for the building, a concrete structure that houses fireplaces and nooks, and provides the visual and structural bones of the lodge.
Project Team
Eight Inc.
Scott Smardo
Lucinda Tay
