The 3500 sq ft residence is situated in the heart of Texas Hill Country on a 14 acre sloped site with native oaks, natural springs and unobstructed views. The building explores a series of contradictions including heavy vs. light, front vs. back, open vs. closed, urban vs. rural and the contemporary vs. the vernacular.

The layout of the house is a direct response to the site conditions. The plan is organized to experience the many features of the landscape. A panoramic view that spans 260-degrees is experienced as well as other more site specific features. The front of the house is made of heavy materials that rise from the earth. The grounded front is in sharp contrast to the more ephemeral back. The structure becomes lighter at the down slope side of the house with walls of glass that open to the landscape.

The environmentally mindful design includes a hydronically heated concrete slab on grade. The concrete foundation and walls provide high thermal mass. Large overhangs and covered walkways offer protection from the sun, and natural cross ventilation is used. Natural materials are used throughout (concrete, steel, stone, and metal) Texas Hill Country limestone was picked from the site and used to create the oversized Rumford fireplace, central to the living space. The landscape consists of regional drought tolerant plants, native to the area and the ecosystem.

The steel frame structure is a kit of parts prefabricated in a shop and erected on site. The steel armature attaches to a series of exposed board formed reinforced concrete pylons. A storefront aluminum glazing system of laminated opaque glass fills in the surfaces between the concrete piers and makes up the exterior walls. Exposed steel beams cantilever out from the concrete pylons and support the tilted roof plane, clad with a standing seam metal skin. Steel pipe columns taper to a smaller diameter at the base and hold up the structure outside of the building footprint. The steel posts splay at unsuspecting angles and dance along the rugged landscape.

The project questions residential architecture by combining the public function of an art gallery with the domestic components of a house. The new building accommodates the needs of the residents as well as large gatherings. The project is a remodel of an existing structure in West Hollywood, California. The challenge was to create a spacious gallery space within a relatively small building envelope. The existing site condition consisted of a 1400 sq. ft residence on a 4000 sq. ft lot. The existing structure was of sub standard construction and had no architectural significance. City regulations required that the square footage and footprint of the existing structure be maintained also that a minimum of 50% of the existing walls to remain intact. The solution was a scale appropriate response that was in keeping with the neighboring buildings.

A new load-bearing wall was introduced that bisected the building on the diagonal. Two distinct zones were created differentiating the gallery from the residence and separating the public from the private functions. The roof plane of the gallery was lifted to allow light to enter the gallery. The clerestory serves as the main light source, eliminating the need for windows and maximizing wall surface for the display of art. A forced perspective was created within the gallery. The space tapers in plan and section out to the garden courtyard. A 20' long reflecting pool is an extension of the gallery floor plane expanding the space beyond the building envelope. The fireplace is a continuation of the tilted roof plane and serves as an easel for viewing art. The gallery offers optimum flexibility. Floating steel bars, supported by cantilevered steel arms, provide an armature for lighting. An aluminum picture rail is mounted at the top of all walls for cable attachments.

The domestic zone consists of 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a kitchen. All components are accessed from the main gallery space. Sliding partitions of glass close off the rooms from the gallery. The articulation of materials strengthens the idea of distinct public and private zones within the building. The storefront curtain wall of laminated opaque glass allows north light to filter into the gallery space. The zinc-clad facade is a heavier stronger piece that denotes the residence. The 5' wide steel frame glass pivot door marks entry. The landscape is an extension of the architecture, outdoor rooms are defined by timber bamboo, fragments of concrete walls and planes of redwood. The existing garage is converted to an office for the art dealer.

The project consists of a 1200 square foot excavation beneath an existing post and beam residence on a severe hillside site in Sherman Oaks, California. The new space is carved out of the seemingly uninhabitable interstitial space between the underside of the building and the inclined earth. The new extension of the residence serves as a conduit for the living quarters above to the garden below. The large gesture of the cascading stair connects all the floors of the multi-tiered space and creates a unifying whole.

Strict hillside provisions inhibit the altering of the existing structure. The sloped grade beams of the existing foundation dictated the elevation heights of the various levels of the new project. The terraced solution satisfies the strict code requirements.

A forced perspective is provided with the grand stair. Experientially, perceptions are altered as one descends / ascends the stair. The angled wall of the stair transforms into a soffit overhead. The floating form reinforces movement through the space and contains the mechanical and sound systems.

Notions of the traditional basement are rethought. A contemporary escape, refuge, oasis is created under the existing home. Angled walls, multiple floor planes, and manipulated planes of white serve as a backdrop for the collection of art and the resonance of music.

The 1500 sq. ft. painting studio is seen as a continuation of the landscape. The massing is reflective of the mountainous surroundings. The building consists of a studio, bedroom suite and loft. The project, an addition to an existing Wallace Neff house, stands alone while at the same time complimenting the adjoining residence by using a similar palette of materials.

The building is seen as series of framed views from which to experience the power of the site. The spaces are processional in the sense that many experiences are had as one ascends the building. The double height studio space is to be used by the client for painting. Indirect light filters in from the stairwell shaft. The oversized sliding door opens to a direct view of the Griffith Observatory. From the studio, one ascends to the loft. The stairs are sandwiched between two walls, storefront glazing exists at either end of the stairwell. The second level opens to a roof deck with a grand exterior stair that leads to the roof. The roof terrace allows one to experience the extraordinary views. The plateau is a stage, set with the Hollywood Hills and the major icons of Los Angeles as the background.

The project is a renovation of a mid century classic post and beam structure located in the Hollywood Hills. The building was stripped bare of years of inappropriate alterations and brought back to its original state. Inspired by the paintings of David Hockney, a series of exterior components were introduced. The landscape is a collage of water, concrete, redwood and flora.

A new internal gallery was introduced. The gallery, a compressed space with heavy walls is in sharp contrast to the lighter, more open spaces of the house. The restored residence is a quintessential California home that embodies the ideal of California living.