Anchored by a Sculptural Helical Staircase | Casa Eclipse

This International Style-inspired concrete home even comes with its very own farmhouse.

In a tiny Italian village, a holiday home offers a sleek and contemporary twist on the traditional alpine vernacular.

This 7,000 sf house is nestled on a heavily wooded hilltop site in Ross, CA with breathtaking views of Mt. Tam and the San Francisco Bay over native California Oaks in one direction and the town of Ross through majestic old-growth redwoods in the other. The parti is a composition of simple volumes that maximizes a sense of openness to these views while maintaining privacy from neighbors and creating distinct zones within the property. Materials were carefully selected to strike a balance between a precise modernist language and the woodsy pastoral sensibility of this Northern California site. The volumes are clad in a terracotta rainscreen with rheinzink fascias. Custom aluminum doors and windows have extremely minimal sightlines. The landscape design was carefully considered to create different outdoor experiences to enhance the house. The floating master suite volume pushes out over the main living volume towards the canyon and views. The main dining kitchen area opens up to a lush lawn while the main living space steps down from a concrete plinth onto a wood floor that extends outdoors to a wood deck and anchored by a linear fire element. Guest rooms face the concrete terrace and look out over the mirror surface of an infinity edge lap pool hovering two inches above deck level. A fountain conceived as an 18″-high monolithic volume of water is visible from the entry and doubles as a spa. A home theater is located in the basement and a separate volume houses a gym area with a spa and an office for the owner’s business and his employees complete with its own private deck.

Abraham Shapiro, AIA, Architect :: Mid-Century Modern. Tucked into a cul-de-sac at the very top of the Encino hills, a stone’s throw to Mulholland and a three-minute drive to the Skirball Cultural Center, this masterfully designed and recently renovated architectural home is close to everything the City has to offer. Next door to Bel Air, Brentwood and Beverly Hills, with easy access to the 405, and just up the street from Ventura Boulevard, the location couldn’t be more convenient. Designed as his own personal residence by influential architect Abe Shapiro, onetime partner of both Bill Krisel and Herb Nadel, this historic property has the clean lines and disciplined detailing consistent with the preeminent USC School of Architecture that dominated residential design in LA in the middle part of the last century. Rebuilt from top to bottom in 2016, the result is a brand new home respectful of the original design, yet upgraded to the standards of the new millennium. Floor-to-ceiling glass doors connect the interior to the landscape, flooding the interior with natural light, together with skylights and clerestory windows. An elegant cook’s kitchen with sleek custom cabinetry and high-end appliances opens directly to the living room and dining room, ideal for entertaining. Valley views, multiple fireplaces, sculptural wine display cabinet, wide plank white oak floors, Carrara marble, porcelain tile, European hardware, designer light fixtures, swimming pool with spa, fire pit, and outdoor kitchen complete the unparalleled package of amenities.