When Melanie Ryan and Todd Sussman, founders of design studio OPEN For Humans, were scoping out potential sites for their new residence in Los Angeles, an angular corner lot in Echo Park piqued their interest. It held the alluring potential to capture views—“We used a drone to scope it out,” recalls Melanie—but a workable plan had to be extracted from the irregularly shaped lot.

At the home’s main frontage, the depth of the lot grows with the slant. “Given the setback and minimum parking requirements of the city of Los Angeles, we had few options to accommodate parking for two cars and still have a ground-level living area,” Melanie shares. The larger depth strategically allocates two tandem parking spots while leaving the rest of the ground floor available for the home’s public space—an open living, dining, and kitchen area.

The lot’s distinct angle is notably celebrated in the two-story steel screen on the facade, a design feature that underscores the importance of striking harmony between natural and built environments. While the building envelope jogs back behind the property line before being squared off, the screen continues on a diagonal path, ending at the corner of the home.

“The orientation of the screen visually ties the angled geometry across the length of the facade,” explains Todd. “Instead of having the entire mass step back, it allows the eye to read the facade as a [continuous] angled plan.” Green vines climb the screen, which shields a triangular garden below.

Considering the lot’s dual frontages, careful consideration was given to light, views, and exposure when siting the home. To ensure privacy at the street-facing facades, the designers scaled back window openings and offset this by bringing in light from above through generous skylights. They prioritized views of the landscaped backyard on the lower level and of the hillside on the second.

Expressing the lot’s unique angles continued to be a central objective of the interior. “Given the lot shape and size, we needed to embrace the angle in order to take advantage of the maximum buildable footprint,” says Todd. Balancing dimensional irregularities with construction costs, OPEN For Humans squared off the lower level, allowing the planter wall, entry, and carport to follow the slant. On the second level, the geometry gave rise to a writing desk in the main bedroom, and on the roof, it afforded a lounge and sunbathing area.

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Just as construction was wrapping up on the residence, a global pandemic was setting in. “The last two months of construction were the first two of the pandemic,” recalls Todd. “It became apparent our home life was evolving into our work life as well. We took a hard look at our needs and how we were allocating the space and function of our plan.”

A home office with custom dual desks was added to the second bedroom, completing the “micro guest wing.” Elaborates Melanie, “The guest room/office closet is used as our ‘print room’ and filing space, but easily fits guests hanging garments as needed.” The large, sunny loft found new purpose as a multipurpose reading, mediation, and fitness space. Together with the verdant ivy dripping off of the loft’s banister, this newly defined space helped give the home its playful name, Jungle Gym House. “With the addition of the home gym space on the loft, we couldn’t resist a good pun, so Jungle Gym it is!”

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The angle of the lot is fully articulated on the roof level, maximizing deck space for lounging, outdoor dining, and sunbathing—all while taking in 360-degree views of downtown Los Angeles, the San Gabriel mountains, and the iconic Hollywood sign.

Although socializing remains largely digital for now, the design’s innate flexibility leaves open the possibility for future gatherings. Keeping the floor plan open and multifunctional, and bringing plants to the forefront, makes this home a serene retreat for creative living. “We’ve never been into large, spread-out homes with a million rooms,” muses Melanie. “It’s making the most of the space.”

Related Reading: A Boxy Los Angeles Bungalow Conceals a Secret Garden

Project Credits:

Architectural Design: OPEN For Humans / @openforhumans

Builder: Giraffe - Joe Sharaf

Landscape Design: OPEN For Humans / @openforhumans

Interior Design: OPEN For Humans / @openforhumans

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A Designer Couple’s Los Angeles Residence Sports a Steel Screen for Climbing Vines