NoHo

The design of a new family home in Los Angeles was inspired by the performance and spatial ethos of the Case Study houses, with strong indoor-outdoor connections. Creating a private, gully-like environment, the house is dug into its hillside site, hidden from view from the street under palms and low-water plantings. Sinking the house into the landscape creates sheltered, secluded outdoor living spaces while taking advantage of the earth’s natural insulating character to help control interior temperatures. The house itself is organized into two major wings, separating guest suites and rooms for the family above shared living and dining spaces that hang over the lap pool and merge with the landscape. Skylights, garden terraces, and deep-set windows bring in plenty of light while avoiding heat gain. The punched, iridescent façade is a shading second-skin that further helps to cool the house. With maximized daylighting, strong passive cooling, stormwater and graywater collection, photovoltaic panels, and on-site renewable power, the house is energy and water positive.