Public relations firm The Last House on Mulholland and architectural research initiative Arch Out Loud have selected winners for their 2017 Iconic Home Beneath the Sign competition, which challenged architects to “design a house of the future which demonstrates the use of innovative technology, integrative environmental strategies, and [capitalizes] on the iconic prominence of its site beneath the famed Hollywood sign.” First place was awarded to the virtually spherical “Ambivalent House” by designers Jason Payne, Michael Zimmerman, Joseph Giampeto, and Ryosuke Imaeda of Los Angeles–based design firm Hirsuta. The proposal explores experimental residential design with a structure that would rotate slowly around a fixed axis over the course of the year.
Second place went to “Hollywood Hill” by Luis Fernando Garcia Ojeda of FGO/Arquitectura in Mexico. The camouflaged project was designed to mimic the surrounding topography and natural environment.
Yohannes Baynes of locally-based design studio YBDD and Nori Hanoka of NHD collaborated for their third place proposal "The Last House," which has a central opening and is low to the ground for minimal environmental impact.
Luca Pozzi, Daniele Marchetti, Gabriele Filippi, Franco Santucci of A2.0 Studio di Architettura in Rome were awarded a Special Mention for their "Eclipse" submission.
