The studio and guest house for a television writer/producer is situated high above the existing residence and accessed through a series of landscapes that ascend the lushly planted hillside. Our design intent for this project emerged as a direct response to the clients’ potentially conflicting interests for separation from the main residence, privacy from adjacent neighbors, to control the exposure to direct sunlight, to maximize the connection to the landscape, and to capture views of the city beyond.

Organized as two independent volumes, the writing studio and the guest house sit upon a unifying concrete base. The space between the two enclosures consists of the entry, the kitchen, and a covered deck. This interstitial space serves as both an extension of the writer’s studio and as an entertainment zone for guests and pool occupants. In addition to the deck serving to conjoin these dissimilar programs, the buildings are wrapped in a weathering steel skin that further supports the concept of a single structure, as well as expanding the layers of privacy.

The cathartic daily five minute commute up to the studio, the location nestled within the lush landscaping, and the panoramic views of Los Angeles serve to inspire the occupant and feed his creative vision. The perforated weathered steel structure will provide a bright and naturally illuminated interior during the day, while visually screening out all adjacent residences. As the writer works late into the night, the studio’s luminous skin will light up its native landscape.

Project Team: Aaron Neubert (Principal), Jeremy Limsenben, David Chong, Nico Valencia, Luis Macias, Andrey Yevdoshchenko