ACTUACIÓN

PLANNING Individual programmatic spaces are assembled within the fixed building envelope much like a contortionist, artfully compressing the mass of their body into unique configurations. By eroding all non-structural walls and partitions, the space flows seamlessly between the three levels stacked within the exterior skin. An upper level semi-private loft space and a secluded lower master suite sandwich the central public living and dining area at middle the entry level. The open folded plate steel and glass stair vertically stitches the three levels together. The smooth polished interior skin is shaped and curved selectively to accentuate the geometry of the house and to accommodate storage and mechanical services. WINDOWS & LIGHT The aperture strategy results from a desire to minimize total quantity for privacy and to maximize individual size for views, passive ventilation and light. The abstract street façade is blank and windowless to provide acoustical baffling and privacy while the ‘back’ of the house has spectacular views of the canyon and ocean. Large sliding glass doors in the double-height living area open into concealed pockets, drawing the outside into a gazebo-like room hovering over the steep canyon. Other windows and doors are recessed within the building volume to form deep sills and thresholds which frame specific views out while limiting views into the house. The placement of skylights in the flat and sloped roofs blurs conventional differentiation between roof and wall. Indirect light sources and unanticipated views through these openings enhance the three-dimensional quality of the space.