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Architects
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Location
Los Angeles, United States -
Contractor
Merlos Construction -
Area
2000.0 ft2 -
Project Year
2010
Text description provided by the architects. Price, speed and quality are always the key elements to a design project. Whether it be a remodel or a ground up project, we are always striving for the perfect equilibrium. Here, we started with an existing ranch style house in the Encino Hills and within 6 months we completed design, permitting and construction. The end result is what feels like a brand new house, all while staying within our client’s budget.
The house now has open plan, revolving around an existing fireplace chimney. Most of the partition walls have been removed thus allowing for free flow, light and air circulation. With the free plan, one could open the multi pivot glass wall on the den side of the house and the sliding windows on the living room side and enjoy a refreshing breeze, without the need to run the air-conditioning unit in the summer months.
Since we believe that the kitchen is the soul and heart of a house, we have incorporated it onto the length of the house, creating a “storage wall”, spanning from the living room all the way to the dining room. At each portion of the house, the proportions and accommodations change to fit the space, while maintaing a homogenous look, the unit ties the space together and gives an appearance of grandeur. The expansive kitchen island is also a key element, anchored to the chimney, always accessible for preparation and for entertaining.
In addition to the free flow of the house, we have also spent quite a bit of time in material and product research. To keep within the budget and speed, we looked into alternative means to achieve the design goals we always strive for.
This meant spending a lot of time with the contractor, fabricators and suppliers to come up with creative solutions. Specifically, we used all new window & door systems, stone and wood coverings and incorporated off the shelf cabinetry, all to create a seamless, fresh and inviting design.
