Is This The Perfect Family House? (House Tour)

Located in the Elysian Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles, the residence and detached artist studio are positioned to perceptually inhabit the adjacent community garden, and present views of the downtown skyline and surrounding hills, in addition to carving out an introspective landscape for the enjoyment of the family. Organized as a staggered sectional volume distributing program over three levels, the residence is situated over the utilitarian spaces located at street level. Living spaces occupy the multi-level second floor with direct access to the outdoors via the front deck and the rear terrace, physically expanding the interior. The third floor, accessed by the expressed scissor stair, consists of the bedrooms and bathrooms. Strategically placed apertures around the residence and studio encourage the spatial reverberation and dialogue between the activities of the home and the multiple and diverse terraces, decks, balconies, and landscapes of the property.

Perched lightly on the land, these prefab homes celebrate the beautiful landscapes of Northern California.

Designed for a young couple, the 5,000 sf home and 1,700 sf back house sit on a flat 21,000 sf lot in a 1920’s Palo Alto neighborhood (a few blocks away from Steve Jobs’ residence). The architecture is a study in strong simple composition and is museum-like with its highly refined materiality and emphasis on craft. The massing defines solid and void, captures natural light, and connects the indoors with the landscape, seeking to ‘experience the outdoors from within.’ The ground floor volumes wrapped in an elongated hand-fired brick from Denmark, emphasizing the horizontality of the architecture that lays solidly on the land. Bronze-trimmed ceiling planes slide between the brick masses, and floor-to-ceiling glazed openings are captured by thin-profiled bronze frames. In contrast to the grounded brick volumes, the second floor is clad in stainless steel panels and oversized aluminum-framed windows. The lightness and openness of the second floor is nestled among the oak-tree canopies of the site. At the basement level, a wine cellar and tasting room open to a sunken landscaped courtyard. A 30ft by 10ft continuous pane of glass runs alongside the grand stairwell of floating stone steps, connecting the three levels of the house. Due to the unprecedented size of this glass in residential design, it was custom manufactured in Germany and shipped to California. This dramatic moment in the sequence of progressing through the house helps visitors feel connected to the lush landscape outside. Inside the house, materials such as a custom leather door and bronze anodized details were selected for their unique craftsman-style quality. Another custom-designed element is the steel mesh screen that wraps around to enclose the kitchen for privacy, separating this from the more public “guest hosting” areas adjacent. The steel screen slides along a track embedded into the teak slatted ceiling and disappears into the pantry when retracted. A freestanding structure set deep back into the site is a zen-like fitness/yoga studio as well as a guesthouse with a kitchenette. This dramatic stone mass opens up completely in the center to give the impression of exercising outdoors. The landscape integrates California native plant species, grasses and trees to compliment the materiality of the architecture.

Located in the historic Oliver Cromwell Building, The W72nd penthouse inhabits the top three floors of the historic building in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. With commanding views of Central Park, it’s an awe-inspiring refuge from the frenetic pace of NYC. The clients, a financier and a tech entrepreneur, one from Pakistan and the other a Detroit native, longed for a cozy retreat to counterbalance their busy lifestyle. The fusion of two cultural backgrounds are apparent in the mixtures of textiles and material selections throughout the home. With two growing daughters and a steady stream of houseguests, the project aimed to accommodate their family as well as act as a secluded shelter away from city life. The space is first met with a glimpse of a stunning oak herringbone floors and steel circular staircase that connects all three floors and serves as the central backbone of the space. Facing the staircase is the main floor living and dining area perfectly framed as the home’s first introduction to the space. The area showcases an eclectic art collection and a library for the voracious literary appetite of the homeowners along with objects of curiosity from the client’s travels. Instantly eye-catching is the dining area which features a stunning dining table and leather chairs and flanked by a banquette covered with a custom Suki Cheema textile. Adjacent is a small media room punctuated by a bright red Ligne Roset couch. The tiered floor plates provided a challenge for maximizing space as each level gets increasingly smaller as you go up. The design team began to think like a shipwright to design unexpected built-ins that evoke the feeling of being in a sailboat in the sky. On the second floor, up the oak and steel staircase, is small office, a bedroom with two beds in a unique head-to-toe configuration surrounded by figured maple built-in storage looking to the prominent views of the penthouse’s towering over Manhattan. Also, on the second floor is a bathroom, a small kitchenette, and a gracious balcony that continues to overlook to the busy cityscape below. The open spaces of the circular stairwell continue up to the third-floor feature integrated fire shutters that slide down to create privacy for the whole second floor. Continuing up the stairs is a generous master bedroom and master bath. The master bathroom is class wall to wall in hand- made colored Moroccan tile juxtaposed with modern fixtures and fittings.

Discover Pitahaya House, a stunning transformation by Taller Estilo Arquitectura in Mérida, Mexico. Once dark and…