An architect’s own home hidden inside a secret garden unfolds as a deeply personal exploration of living in close connection with nature, set within the quiet seclusion of Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles. Conceived as both refuge and reflection, the residence by Marmol Radziner is shaped by a desire to dissolve the boundary between built form and landscape, allowing daily life to unfold within a continuous dialogue between interior and exterior.
Positioned just minutes from the urban density of Santa Monica and Brentwood, an architect’s own home hidden inside a secret garden feels distinctly removed from the city. Surrounded by native California sycamores and live oaks, the home draws on its remarkable site, embedding itself within the existing terrain. Arrival is intentionally gradual – crossing a bridge, moving through trees and approaching along a path where architecture and landscape begin to merge into a singular experience.
At its core, an architect’s own home hidden inside a secret garden is organised around a central great room that integrates living, dining and kitchen functions. Expansive glazing frames views towards the garden, pool and hillside, reinforcing a constant visual connection to the outdoors. The planning prioritises both openness and retreat, with private spaces branching from shared zones while maintaining carefully considered sightlines back to the landscape.
Materiality plays a defining role in shaping atmosphere. An architect’s own home hidden inside a secret garden utilises a restrained palette of Danish brick, weathering zinc and expansive glass externally, while internally, dark-stained oak wraps floors, ceilings and joinery. This continuity creates a sense of immersion, allowing the architecture to recede and foreground the surrounding environment. In wet areas, travertine limestone introduces warmth and texture, echoing the tones of the trees beyond.
Light and shadow are carefully balanced throughout. The darker interior palette enhances the perception of the outdoors, with windows reading as framed compositions that shift with time and season. There is an intentional duality – moments that feel open and expansive are contrasted by spaces that evoke enclosure and calm, offering a sense of retreat akin to a sanctuary.
Spatial sequencing reinforces this layered experience. Upstairs, bedrooms are oriented towards the garden, each maintaining privacy while remaining visually tethered to the landscape. In particular, the primary bathroom emerges as a defining space, opening directly to the rear yard and allowing natural light to filter in, heightening the sensory connection to place.
Ultimately, an architect’s own home hidden inside a secret garden is less about perfection and more about feeling. It reflects a clear and singular point of view, where simplicity of concept gives rise to richness in experience. Through the integration of architecture, interiors and landscape, the home becomes a lived-in composition – one that prioritises atmosphere, connection and the quiet rhythms of everyday life.
0:00 – Introduction To An Architect’s Own Home Hidden Inside a Secret Garden
00:39 – Project Brief
2:25 – Walk Through of The Home
4:12 – Materials and Textures
5:17 – Homage To Nature
6:55 – Goal Of The Project
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Photography by Pablo Veiga.
Architecture, interior design, build and landscape design by Marmol Radziner.
Artwork by Sam Durant, Julian Hoeber, Tony Lewis, Sterling Ruby and Caroline Walker.
Filmed and edited by O&Co. Homes.
Production by The Local Production.
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
The Local Project acknowledges the traditional territories and homelands of the Indigenous peoples in the United States. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our respective countries and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
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