This 26,800 sqf home, designed by Shubin+Donaldson Architects, not only merges with its remarkable environment, but virtually disappears. Except for a few deft lines and angles – such as the ordered rows of the surrounding vineyard – there is very little perceivable ‘built’ presence. The entrance is marked by a single low wall, delicately cut into the land while sheltering a stairway that immediately begins the descent into the home.
Project description, images, and drawings after the break. Architect: Shubin+Donaldson Architects Location: Los Angeles, California, USA Partners in Charge: Russell Shubin and Robin Donaldson Project Designer: Bradford Kelley Project Area: 26,800 sqf Project Year: In development Renderings: Mike Amaya
Located on a natural bluff atop Moraga Canyon in Los Angeles, the east-west promontory offers uninterrupted views to the north and south while overlooking the Getty Center to the West. Overlooking the vineyard terraces, floor-to-ceiling windows open onto an infinity-edged pool, which skims the edge of the terrace merging with the distant horizon. Portions of the house take on the abstract character of the adjacent landscape becoming an architectonic extension of the natural topography.
A concrete structure with planted roofs, this four-bedroom home is organized around a large central sunken living space, balancing the functional aspects as well as the phenomenon of living within the earth.
