Project Description
This distinctive residence rethinks its typical Los Angeles, post-war, tract-home neighborhood. A noteworthy street presence and a surprising sense of expanded interior space sets a new standard for a contemporary, semi-urban home. An unexpected double-story curvilinear void begins at the front entrance and runs the length of the residence to create transcending relationships among indoor and outdoor living areas. A 52-foot continuous skylight and sunshade extend along the curve of the void, while indirect natural light floods the center of the residence. The primary circulation of the home occurs along the curve, converging and diverging at threshold moments, creating sinuous pathways that are punctuated by city views, framed within the vertical slot of space, which becomes a viewing device for the new spatial connections. The owners communicated a clear sense of particular goals both desired and achieved. “We wanted to be active collaborators on the project and sought out firms that operated in a similar fashion. Our 28-page program included a list of functional rooms and spaces along with supporting photographs we’d clipped over the years. We wanted our home to have articulations, both linear and non-linear that offered dynamic interplay with light and sky, interior and exterior. We also wanted to have a strong visual connection to the outdoors.” The long narrow curving pool in back continues the interior geometry, extending out of the house from a seamless glass alcove, seemingly carved from the spatial void within. A sculptural stair is both grounded and floating, while a second-floor transparent glass bridge hovers in the void above, transmitting multiple lighting effects that enhance the lens-like qualities of the residence. An elegant palette of contrasting materials contributes to the expansive feeling of this home, creating a strong depth of space, while finely detailed tectonics contribute to the blended spatial interactions. At the entry, polished travertine emerges to create a sculptural stair base, which continues throughout the house to the rear terrace, further blurring the lines between indoor and out. Above, an ebony ceiling melds with the open ebony stairs, spanning down to the travertine to create the floating feeling. The residence provides an “open privacy” on the ground floor by visually connecting the entire site, while delineating a series of smaller spaces within the open ground floor. As ex-New Yorkers, the owners claim an ideal oasis within the city saying, “Our unique contemporary home is close to shops and restaurants yet surprisingly quiet and secluded enough to skinny dip.”