Callow Residence

The clients expressed a desire for a house with a modest scale from the street, a fluid relationship between interior and exterior space, with privacy from adjacent neighbors, and a distinctive design conceptually situated on the trajectory of Los Angeles modernism. We organized the site into functional bands of varying widths running north-south, and overlaid a pattern of alternating angled walls and roof lines to shape space and direct view and movement from the site and through the house.

The site offers no obvious desirable views, so courtyards, a south-oriented deck, and a rear garden serve as focal points framing the sky, as well as tree canopies and the play of light wherever possible. The entire site is engaged in the architectural composition. The plan is bilaterally symmetrical with an upward spiral progression around the entry courtyard, leading to the upturned cantilevered roof. The angular and folding form language of the house reads alternately planar and volumetric.

We sought drama and intimacy, openness and privacy, movement and focus throughout the design.