Hollywood Hills II

Set on a rare, large vacant site in the Hollywood Hills, this new home for a young family explores ideas about living in Los Angeles — the extremes of the environment (the sun, the smog, earthquakes, fires) and a cultural drive toward maximizing experience, along with the easy pleasure of Southern California’s lifestyle. The 3,750-square-foot house is conceived as a series of experiential “chambers,” rooms, and outdoor spaces, each designed to heighten their spatial, material, and chromatic elements. The effect is one of intensity and even strangeness, parsed by calm, neutral transitions. At the same time, conscious response to the untamed nature of the site is intrinsic to the design.