Dark Light House

A slightly descending hillside parcel in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles serves as the location for this single family residence. In addition to the site’s gentle topography near the highland of the surrounding hills, the opportunity to capture commanding views of Downtown Los Angeles, the Hollywood sign, and the Griffith Observatory influenced the position and orientation of the home.

Arranged into two spatially interlocking volumes – a “cube” and a “bar” – the residence responds to the massing, scale, and setbacks of its suburban context, while also extending deep into the site to maximize relationships with the landscape and the distant vistas beyond. Entry into the home is found at the interstice between these two volumes, terminating upon arrival at the centrally located sculptural stair. Weaving these two volumes together, the stair core serves as the home’s interior center of activity.

On the ground floor, the “cube” contains the garage and the voluminous kitchen opening to the pool terrace, while the well illuminated family room and deck are stacked above on the second floor. The street-oriented den, internally positioned dining room, and fully glazed living room and expansive terrace are placed on the ground floor of the “bar”, with the bedrooms and laundry room achieving privacy on the second floor.

A private terrace, screened from the street and neighboring properties is enveloped by the interior spaces of the home, promoting direct access to the pool, landscape, and the exterior living and dining areas. An exterior deck, with sunset views, is located adjacent the family room, while the master bedroom’s balcony looks out towards Griffith Park.

Project Team: Aaron Neubert (Principal), Jeremy Limsenben, Xiran Zhang, Jina Seo / Interiors: Victoria Pergament, ANX / Structural Engineer: Craig Phillips Engineering / Photography: Brian Thomas Jones

Publications: ArchDaily, May 08, 2018, Design Milk, May 08, 2018, Archipendium, 2017