The mid-section of the siding was done in a shou-sugi ban method. Custom brass was used for the awning, alongside a standing-seam metal roof.
To bring sunlight into the lakeside home, Max-A set a giant skylight in one of its roof facets.
The gable-roofed home features sustainable Accoya wood siding and Tecu patinated copper by KME, experimental materials that Ricks had proposed for MASS Design Group competition entries but put in use for the first time here. His colleague, Sierra Bainbridge, designed the landscape.
Extra-wide concrete pillars help to support the studio at its core.
“We definitely wanted to preserve the character of the home and make sure that it always fits the neighborhood,” says designer Jenny Bassett. To that end, the team kept the front façade intact, only repainting and adding new landscaping. The fireplace in the living room was also retained, so wood is stored in the front yard for easy access.
On the exterior, floating steel siding shields the home from the elements while allowing fresh air to flow in and out.
The front garden area is terraced with custom Cor-Ten steel retaining walls with an oxidized patina. The plantings are inspired by the couple’s love for Palm Springs.
Dad, a swimmer and triathlete, pops down to the river every chance he gets, rinsing off in the outdoor shower afterwards.
The design team painted the exterior a dark, charcoal gray and sliced a two-story volume through the facade, removing part of the second floor to create the double-height space.
The large pocket doors of Mandeville Canyon House open up the corner of the living room to the concrete terrace and lawn beyond. This house, designed by Dutton Architects, is perfect for informal living and taking advantage of the southern California climate.
The bright orange tone of the front door matches the color of the accent wall in the living room, connecting the exterior and the interior of the ADU.
The guesthouse is clad in vertical white vinyl siding. Kelli had decking constructed out of engineered wood and cedar.
The garden-level living area of the ADU faces perpendicular to the existing house, offering a measure of privacy to the detached building.
Klopf Architecture's modest 72-square-foot addition at the front of the home blends in with the original structure while giving the owners a greater sense of openness in the master and hall bathrooms. Inside, the re-imagined great room now features dining space.
Solar panels line the roof to soak up the Australian sun. The home doesn’t use any gas—the cooktop is induction, and heating and hot water come from a heat pump.
For Mount Washington Residence, McBride Architects use prefabrication to save on costs while going big on functionality and style.
The box-shaped extension plays off the familiar farmhouse typology, creating a series of intriguing contrasts.
Completed in May 2018, the Crossfield Street House is the residence of architect Jonathan Pile, his wife Katherine, and their five-year-old son.
One-way mirrored glass wraps around a portion of the home. "We wanted it to reflect like glass so that when you sit on the terrace, you see trees or the view in all directions—including when you look towards the house," says Larsen. The mirror effect is slightly distorted, and no birds have flown into the glass.
Robertson restored the existing rooms in the front of the original house, and redesigned the back of the home to have a much more modern, indoor/outdoor living experience.
“Many of Los Angeles’s iconic modern houses float above the city like tethered spaceships on stilts,” says Clive. “I had always yearned for the opportunity to design my own floating home.” Custom black zinc panels and sandblasted concrete form the exterior.
“While the house enjoys its inner garden and cloister-like character, a major aim of the project was to give back to the neighborhood through the creation of a public green space along the property line,” says Ryan. “To do so, large sections of the sidewalk around the house were removed and converted to lush planting beds, which the owners tend.”
A view of the newly constructed modern Back House seen from the street. Custom redwood fencing wraps around the home.
The mitered glass window on the southwest corner of the new building is a nod to the entryway on the southwest corner of the existing building.
From the street, the house appears as a simple, white structure with timber elements. It’s not until you enter that the lightness and porosity of the home becomes apparent.
“Durability drove the selection of metal panels,” Schaer says of the home’s industrial exterior. Manufactured by AEP SPAN from corrugated cladding, it looks like zinc but costs significantly less. It also contrasts nicely with the natural siding and trim. “All of the wood inside and out is Douglas Fir, the predominant wood species in the northwest,” Schaer explains.
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