Jesse Bornstein Architecture specializes in formally rigorous, site-specific custom residential design. We work closely with our clients from design conception through construction using computer-based visualization tools, sketches, study models and material samples to communicate formal concepts and building systems. Our ongoing interest in experimentation is tempered by our aspiration toward a timeless architecture, as well as an abiding respect for our client's budget. Hallmarks of our practice are a refined palette of materials and architectural details, the integration of both active and passive sustainable systems, and spatially interconnected built and natural environments. We apply our skills, knowledge of construction and aesthetic sensibilities toward creating beautiful, lasting, life-affirming environments for each of our clients.

Response to Site and Code
This single-family residence is situated on a sloping infill site in the Ocean Park neighborhood of Santa Monica, California. Per local hillside zoning codes the maximum building height runs on a continuum with the slope of the property.

Two primary formal strategies are employed in response to site, code and the intention to create dynamic space and optimize views. 1. The available building envelope is carved into a series of volumes with shed roofs that parallel the slope of site. 2. Stepping horizontal floor plates, viewing decks and roof planes attach to the shed roof volumes.

A rich spatial experience is created within the formal interplay of these horizontal and sloped roof forms. The horizontal ceilings and broad eaves help encourage and extend one's eye into the landscape. This outward looking, or extroverted, effect is counterposed with the shed roof forms that help provide a spatial experience of containment or introversion.

Two shed roofs defy the city's height limit and pitch the opposite of all the others to provide egress to roof decks, clerestory daylighting to the interiors, and optimally oriented and angled platforms for solar panels.

Circulation
Center-stringer stairs bridge across the landscaping and continue through the house as a central spine of horizontal and vertical circulation connecting stepping floor and deck planes. An integral part of the house, the stairs are expressive of the dynamic movement and life of the house.

Interaction of spaces
Exterior and interior clear and translucent sliding glass doors mediate between spaces;as panels slide into wall cavities the house completely opens to itself and to the outdoors. The boundaries between in and out are blurred by finish materials (metal cladding, masonry, plaster, wood floor/deck) common to both the interior and exterior of the house.

The open volume of the stairwell provides spatial interaction between floor levels. The sitting room "loft" that looks down to the house's primary living space is another example of the vertical interplay between spaces. The front studio also has an open loft space and the two children's rooms share a playroom loft accessed by ships ladders.

Pattern
Like the grain pattern in wood worn by wind and water, there is a linear east-west directional pattern that runs throughout the house. This trajectory in line with prevailing ocean breezes is expressed in stair and circulation path, shed roof slope, light slots in ceiling, wood floor and deck plank pattern, metal siding and roofing standing seam pattern (raised standing-seams of the wall and roof panels run in the east-west direction while the walls facing north and south are clad with flush "flat-lock" panels).

Sustainability
Passive and active solar systems are integral to the house. The two sections of shed roof that are southwest sloping provide optimal orientation for both photovoltaic and solar hot water panels. Operable expanses of glazing fill the interior spaces with natural light and provide natural ventilation while cantilevered volumes, overhanging decks and broad eaves shade the interiors from direct sun. Ten zone hydronic floor heating, solar pool heating, and sustainable building materials further the environmental consciousness of the design. Water conservation measures include dual-flush toilets, xeriscape landscaping and an on-site rain water retention system.

Holistic Design
Consistently used detailing and a logic approach to the application of finish materials reinforce the design concepts, form-making strategies and spatial constructs of the house to create a wholistic living environment. Like nature itself, well considered architecture sustains us.

Photography by Tom Bonner 

This project is an architect driven 5-unit townhouse development that integrates green technologies and materials within a modern design sensibility.

The project occupies a typical infill site within Santa Monica, California's semi-urban grid. Its design is a significant departure from the traditionally based neighborhood context.

With its serial pattern and clean dipartite formal composition capped with semi-transparent bi-facial photovoltaic solar canopies that provide shade for roof decks as well as over 3000kwh electricity generation per year for each unit, these townhomes are designed to incite excitement and a sense of optimism for a sustainable future.

Other hallmarks of the project include a simple palette of sustainable materials inside and out, an abundance of natural light and ventilation, and connections to outdoor spaces on each level.

The project's system technologies minimize adverse environmental impact. The lighting system makes extensive use of fluorescents and LEDs. Water conserving features include low flow plumbing equipment and fixtures,100% drought tolerant landscaping and drip irrigation. All rainwater is retained on site for irrigation use and urban runoff mitigation. HVAC equipment exceeds 90% efficiency and uses non-toxic refrigerant.

While solar canopies are the most outwardly expressive green element of the project, at the core of each townhome's interior is an ethanol burning fireplace that is cased in the same FSC-certified bamboo laminate that is used throughout the project for cabinetry and flooring. These minimalist, double-sided, clean burning and energy efficient fireplaces provide separation between living and dining areas. These central hearths for the 21st Century generate a cool ambience while effectively warming each unit's entire two-story primary volume.

Photography by Bernard Wolf

With the Nikol house addition and renovation we transformed a previously dark, cramped and jumbled space into a light, airy and unified home. Working with an industrious client who undertook much of the physical labor himself, we were able to maximize a miniscule budget to recreate and enliven every space.

Set on a hillside lot in Mar Vista, the addition of a second story master suite and indoor/outdoor living spaces takes full advantage of ocean and nature views and opens up the house with a central double height space. The second story loft and expansive deck open to below create an architectural interplay between the two interior levels and the outdoors.

A broad two-story entry connects the two wings of the house as well as the site's front and rear outdoor spaces. Natural light, prevailing ocean breezes, views and circulation all flow linearly through the transparent sliding glass doors at the entry, rear and upper deck.

The entire house is integrated under a floating upwardly sloping butterfly roof that serves as both a poetic gesture (the house appears to reach skyward) and a functional mechanism (increased access to light and air). The warm wood on the ceiling and eaves contrasts with the coolness of the gray metal fascia, metal siding and gray plaster base.

Photography by Bernard Wolf

With the desire for an open and airy outdoor/indoor living space that was budget conscious, the client and architect determined that the most cost effective way to achieve this was by building up and out from the footprint of the original house. This virtually square footprint was extruded to form the main body of a new two-story house, with non-orthogonal appendage forms (functioning as sitting areas, bay windows, decks, entry and stairs) projecting off of it. These appendages are clad in metal siding while the core of the house is plaster-finished.

A double-height atrium with adjunct living areas emanating from it was designed as both a light well and the central living core. A subtly pitched roof with broad eaves, floating above a band of clerestory windows, fills the atrium with daylight.

Two built-in artifacts of construction, a structural steel "x" brace and the fireplace from the original house, are intended as additions to the clients' broad ranging art collection.

A 360 degree view roof deck is accessed by exterior stairs that feature prominently in the form-making expression of the house. With the completion of concrete hardscape elements and front yard landscaping, the project now awaits phase ii: a new accessory garage/office and landscaped rear yard.

Photography by Bernard Wolf

With the Mi-Ca Residence, architect Jesse Bornstein, AIA has transformed a non-descript dark, jumbled and claustrophobic single-story interior into an organized and light-filled two-story living environment that is open to outdoor spaces and views.

The architect's penchant for bringing clarity and resolution to what was a morass of primordial goo was manifest here with a few deft design moves. An existing bathroom and water heater closet became the genesis for the design's service/mechanical core. A stairwell then runs alongside this core to the new second floor. The original house's hip roof is inverted; previously turned-down eaves now lift up opening up the interiors to the sky and natural daylight.

The relationship between discrete interior and outdoor spaces is moderated by a series of sliding glass doors. On the ground floor, the front corner of the house slides open to the front yard landscape and patio. Conversely, an inverted corner sliding door assembly opens the house to the rear-facing second-floor deck. The sliding entry door is accessed from the appropriated sideyard driveway. In time, landscape elements will grow in to further define this processional path.

Architect and client collaborated to create an intense materiality that imbues the interiors with rich textural and tonal qualities. Once completed, a walnut wood clad stair wall will add to the density of the house's material palette.

Photography by Bernard Wolf

This project, the Anderson Residence, is a substantial addition and renovation of an existing dark, compartmentalized, non-descript 40's era house that is sited directly adjacent to the Santa Monica Airport. With a tight budget to work with, the project directive was to get as much bang for the buck as possible.

The program for our clients, an enterprising family of four, consists of the existing garage and "Jack and Jill" children's suite, a new ground floor Guest Bedroom Suite, open plan Living/Dining/Kitchen/Family Room, an upstairs Master Suite and workspace Loft that is open to the stairwell volume.

A beautiful existing mature Chinese Elm tree is preserved and incorporated into the design, its branches interwoven with the Entry trellis and upper roof eaves. Windows are strategically placed to capture views of this tree as well as another specimen tree located in the rear of the site. Broad overhangs control direct sunlight while clerestory windows and corner glazing bring in an abundance of natural daylight to the interiors.

Daylighting is supplemented with an LED lit "runway" soffit that runs the length of the house. Mechanical ducts run through this soffit as well. The uplifted eaves of the butterfly roof and expanses of glass throughout the house celebrate the surrounding landscape, the sky and the adjacent airport.

Photography by Bernard Wolf

The treehouse project is a model of site-specific infill set in a hillside urban neighborhood. The new residence shares a 50-by-160 parallelogram shaped lot with an existing front house. An existing 10-foot tall retaining wall runs the width of the property.

Cut off from the rest of the property by the retaining wall, the rear third of the lot had lain fallow. A mature Chinese elm tree stands at the southerly base of the retaining wall. While tailored to the programmatic requirements of the client, namely the architect, his wife and their two young daughters, the project design is primarily a response to specific site conditions.

The existing front house was originally a gable-roofed painted wood and stucco box built in the 1950s. An extensive renovation and second-story addition by the architect refined the original house while maintaining its traditional form and ubiquitous palette of materials.

In contrast, the design of the rear house refers to the mid-twentieth century California modern architectural tradition. Parallel histories are set in formal dialogue between the modern rear house and the traditional front house. Reinforcing the dialogue, the rear house studio is nestled into the gable roof of the front house garage.

Roof planes step up the sloped site providing city and mountain views from multiple levels. Walls and fenestration subtly shift -- in reference to the non-orthogonal site -- to maintain privacy and control views between neighboring structures.

The design exploits a long-view corridor along the driveway between the front house and an adjacent apartment building. Views of a neighborhood park a block away are captured between apartment buildings to the north and rear.

The Twin Shotgun Houses are situated on the two narrow lots that slope down from Third Street toward the ocean. In order to maximize the lot size, these mirrored houses were designed as linear volumes, 'shotgun' in shape.

The rear elevation of the houses is composed of terracing decks that project outward from each floor towards the ocean. Each deck is cantilevered over the level below it, providing shade from the southwest exposure and protecting the flush frame wood and glass walls from the sun. Connecting each deck level are steel stairs cantilevered from the exterior angled walls of each house.

An existing palm tree has been transplanted front and center to become an obelisk, marking the axial alignment of the site with the courtyard apartment building across the street. The front bay window of each house is distinct; each is a playfully curved sculptural form. These "seashell masks" provide each house with its own identifying sign -- a white, abstract folly imbued with form by light and shadow. These forms, together with the central palm tree, play an active role in the theater of the street and the Ocean Park neighborhood.

The side elevations reflect the dynamics of the interior spaces and provide adjacent neighbors with a play of stepped and faceted geometric forms.

The composition of the interiors provides a sense of spaciousness despite the narrow shotgun form of the houses. Private bedrooms are sequestered on the ground floor while the living spaces above open to natural daylight, ocean views and breezes and outdoor terraced decks.

Natural light is the primary element of the interiors. Light enters through a variety of apertures. Facing the linear garden courtyard, each house has a three-story wall of translucent laminated glass panels set into a wood framework to ensure privacy between the two houses. The interior stair, composed of an open steel structure and rail with wood tread, is silhouetted against the translucent glass wall.