Residential ArchitectureFeatured Houses

Vortex House

Architects & Firms

Murmur

Malibu, CA

Site Size: 18,530 square feet

Project Size: 1276 square feet

Program: Two retirees approached architect Heather Roberge, principal of Los Angeles-based firm Murmur, to design their dream house'they wanted a quirky dwelling that connected to the surrounding landscape.

Location: The site in Malibu, California sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by canyons. Special environmental restrictions limited the house's height, volume, and square footage.

Solution: To maximize the house's space and vistas, the architect conceived a whirlpool form with spaces radiating from a central courtyard at the center of the pinwheel-shaped floor plan. From an entrance on the east, spaces flow smoothly through the house: living and dining areas open on to a covered patio, which connects to the master bedroom.

Floor-to-ceiling windows afford 200-degree vistas of Malibu's bluffs and the Pacific Ocean. A faceted roof creates dramatically folded ceilings inside. The house relies on natural ventilation for cooling.

Construction methods: Roberge used two structural systems: she nested a light timber frame enclosure for lateral load resistance within a steel moment frame of round columns. The steel frame supports the square steel tubes of the folded roof and the timber roof diaphragm, which in turn is covered by zinc panels.

Architect:
Murmur
6404 Hollywood Blvd Suite 329
Los Angeles CA 90028
323. 382.0191
info@murmur-la.com

People

Owner: R/S Carroll

Architect:
Murmur
6404 Hollywood Blvd Suite 329
Los Angeles CA 90028
(323) 382-0191

Personnel in architect's firm who should receive special credit:
Design Team:
Heather Roberge, Principal and Project Designer
with Liesl Margolin, Assistant Project Designer
Leon Cifala, Project Assistant
Juliet Hsieh, Project Assistant

Engineers:
Structural Engineer:
William Koh & Assoc., Inc., William Koh, P.E.

Civil:
Peak Surveys

Geotechnical:
Coastline Geotechnical, Richard A. Martin, P.E.

Consultant(s):
Landscape:
Pieter L. Severynen, ASLA

General contractor:
Bonomo Development, Anthony Bonomo

Photographer(s):
All images with file names including initials bc:
Fotoworks, Benny Chan
(310) 842-9445
fotoworks@sbcglobal.net

Images with file names including initials hr:
Image courtesy of murmur
323.382.0191

Products

Structural system
Hybrid steel tube and type V timber frame

Exterior cladding
Wood:
Ipe hardwood exterior decking over Dex-O-Tex waterproof decking

EIFS, ACM, or other:
Plaster Stucco with fiberglass reinforcement, Sto Acrylic finish coat

Moisture barrier:
DuPont Tyvek StuccoWrap

Roofing
Metal:
Rheinzink pre-weathered standing-seam roof panels

Other:
Grace Ultra Self Adhered Roofing underlayment

Windows
Metal frame:
Custom-assembled, aluminum storefront windows, Fleetwood Westwood operable windows.

Glazing
Glass:
Low e coated, tempered insulated glass

Doors
Entrances:
aluminum storefront door with offset pivot hinge

Metal doors:
aluminum storefront doors

Sliding doors:
Fleetwood Norwood 3070-EX sliding doors

Hardware
Locksets:
FSB Hardware

Interior finishes
Cabinetwork and custom woodwork:
Custom, lacquer finished cabinetwork with prefinished maple plywood interiors

Paints and stains:
Dunn Edwards Paints

Solid surfacing:
Compac, quartz solid surface

Floor and wall tile:
Stone Source, bathroom

Wood flooring:
4' Walnut T&G floor, clear finish

Wall baseboard:
Fry Reglet aluminum reveal base

Lighting
Interior ambient lighting:
custom designed LED wall mounted aluminum uplights

Downlights:
Litron

Floor Lamps:
By Owner

Exterior:
BEGA

Dimming System or other lighting controls:
Lutron Radio RA Wireless Lighting Controls

Plumbing
Grohe bathroom fixtures
Duravit bathroom sinks
KW kitchen fixtures
Elkay kitchen sinks
Toto toilet fixtures

Other unique products that contribute to sustainability:
Landscape is native plantings with drip irrigation
Natural ventilation used for passive cooling

KEYWORDS: California