Los Angeles, California

Located on a hillside overlooking the Los Angeles basin, this project had a height limit of 16 feet, to maintain the panoramic views.

Design concept and solution: To design a 9,800-square-foot residence that could meet the neighborhood association’s zoning requirements, the architect excavated six feet underground, where amenities such as a home theater, playroom, office, and garage are located. Fundamentally based on a 20-by-25-foot structural module, the house’s simple L-shaped plan establishes a linear progression from the carport and entry through the living spaces, and out to the garden with views across the angled infinity pool. The building’s structural steel frame appears to suspend above the glass enclosed first floor, where the main living spaces, kitchen and dining areas, and some bedrooms, are located. Also clad in glass, the top floor with the master suite is protected from extreme sunlight by a series of custom designed vertical louvers, cleft from the same cement panel material that envelopes the home’s street façade. The central core and lily pond allow for circulation through the large aluminum sliders, while providing the interiors with an abundance of natural air and light filtered by the white cement panels that wrap the exterior. Other substantial materials used include architectural exposed concrete, travertine, exposed steel, plate steel, glass, and wood.

People

Owner
Mauricio Oberfeld

Completion Date:
February 2010

Gross square footage
9,800 sq.ft.

Total construction cost
Withheld at owner’s request

Architect
Studio Pali Fekete architects (SPF:a)
Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA & Judit M. Fekete-Pali
8609 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
T: 310.558.0902
F: 310.558.0904
www.spfa.com

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:
Architect: Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA
Project Team:
Project Manager – Anupama Mann
Matt Lunn
Mark Meyer
Yvonne Wong
Jamie Heitner

Architect of record
Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA

Interior designer
Simon Hamui

Engineer(s)
Structural:
Norman J. Epstein
3611 Motor Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
T: 310.841.2237

M/E/P:      
John Gautrey
IBE Consulting
14130 Riverside Dr. #201
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
T: 818.377.8220
www.ibce.com
           
Consultant(s)
Landscape:
Andrea Cochran
Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture
2325 Third Street No. 210
San Francisco, CA 94107
T: 415.503.0060
www.acochran.com

General contractor
Dugally Oberfeld
Mauricio Oberfeld
2980 Beverly Glen Circle Suite 203
Bel Air, CA 90077
T: 310.441.5001
www.dugally-oberfeld.com

Photographer(s)
Bruce Damonte
415.845.6919
bruce@brucedamonte.com
www.brucedamonte.com

Russell Abraham
510.444.5204
ra@russellabraham
www.russellabraham.com

Renderer(s)
Bruce Damonte Photography
Russell Abraham Photography

CAD system, project management, or other software used: AutoCAD

 

Products

Structural system: Steel Moment Frame

Exterior cladding
Concrete: Specified with Fly ash

Other:
Rainscreen cladding:
Swisspearl cement panels
Swisspearl
www.swisspearl.com
Leslie Marquez
626.429.0494

Roofing
Built-up roofing:
Torch down rubber roof with 3/8” minus gravel surface
    
Windows
All windows:
Fleetwood
www.fleetwoodusa.com

Glazing
Glass: High performance low-e glass with a self cleaning coating

Doors
All doors:
Fleetwood
www.fleetwoodusa.com

Interior finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork: Casework was built from engineering lumber that is a recycled product.

Floor and wall tile
mafi Vulcano
mafi Flooring America
310.962.MAFI

Lighting
Interior ambient lighting:
Low-voltage MR16