Johnston Marklee and Associates . Studio Shamshiri (interiors)
The building is located on a prominent ridge along a canyon in Pacific Palisades, California. The parcel is oriented towards the south, with open views towards the ocean to the southwest. The sweeping profile of the house is achieved from splitting one mass into two curved volumes in response to the topography of the canyon and the street.
Reflecting the double massing, the house is a hybrid of two types of villas. Towards the north, the carved stone façade is modulated by a gridded framework which recalls the language of pilaster and entablature, marking the underlying structure of the house, and projecting a formal language towards the street. On the south elevation, with views to the ocean, the underlying structural grid is embedded into the stucco envelope, and marked only by the consistent rhythm of window openings and the columns of the extended roof. Defined by the sweeping porch across the length of the façade, the Mediterranean tradition of shaded porches, deep windows and crisp shadows engages the house with the legacy of living inside and out in southern California.
The distribution of program reflects the split in the mass, with the secondary programs including the garage, guest rooms, entry, den and gym oriented towards the street. The primary programs of the kitchen, dining room, living room, office and the master suite quarters on the second floor are oriented towards the views to the south. Along the southern façade, a continuous porch forms an in-between space connecting inside and outside living areas. As a shaded patio, the canopy softens the southern light from the interior of the house, providing the ideal controlled light environment for art. Tucked between the two volumes is an art gallery. The triangular plan is oriented around a central skylight which brings diffused northern light into the gallery.
The house is organized as a sequence of rooms, separated by poché walls, which inscribe the structural bay into the depth of the plan, and are dedicated to the client’s art collection. Fluid circulation, allowing different flows between rooms characterizes the floor plan, where all spaces are primary environments for art and view. Variations in atmosphere, scale, and material cladding mark the transitions in use. A double height entry mixes light from a north-facing vertical window, with a south-facing skylight, while orienting circulation on the ground floor and connecting to the second level from a new stair. Upstairs a low light level continuous circulation gallery for drawings and works on paper connects the all the sleeping rooms
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CLIENT
LOCATION
Los Angeles, CA, US
YEARS
2013-2019
PARTNERS
Sharon Johnston, Mark Lee
PROJECT TEAM
Anton Schneider (Project Manager), Rodolfo Reis Dias (Project Lead), Mary Casper, Jeff Mikolajewski, Fiona Cuypers-Stanienda, Nathan Keibler, David Himelman
CONSULTANT TEAM
Structural Engineer: William Koh & Associates; Civil Engineer: C.W. Howe Partners; MEP Engineer: Meline Engineering Corporation; Geotechnical Engineer: Grover Hollingsworth; Landscape Architect: Pamela Burton & Company; Interiors: Studio Shamshiri; Expeditor: Pacific Crest Consultants; Lighting Consultant: Loisos + Ubbelohde; Low Voltage: Hass Home Technologies; Pre-Con: RJC Builders; Specifications: AWC West; Surveyor: Becker & Miyamoto
PHOTOGRAPHY Eric Staudenmaier
