Built in 1982, this modern home sits above the city in the hills of Los Angeles. It was occupied by an art collector and patron for forty years and served as a hub for LA’s art and architecture community. The new owners wanted to bring the architecture of the home to the forefront while showcasing their contemporary photography collection. 

The house organization pinwheels around a central atrium. A new 14’-6” tall white oak door sits beyond a sunken entry garden, its expansive scale exaggerating the windowless facade and the double height interior space. While the street-facing facade is monumental and sealed, the back canyon-facing facade is light and open. Pocketing sliders open to the garden and pool to the south and west, framing views of both the house and its surroundings. New openings on the canyon-side of the house frame the landscape, creating snapshots that echo the owners’ photography collection. 

The upstairs plan was simplified and excessive poché was scaled back to let in more light. A new raised deck overlooks the city and the ocean to the southwest. A warm material palette of white oak, poured-in place terrazzo, and limestone compliments the pre-existing bronze metal window frames. Custom green railings contrast against the white stucco and blend in amongst the planting.