Judges' Comments
- The jury was impressed with the clear ideas, elegantly developed floor plans, and strong concept of this small in-fill home. Demonstrating clever ways of connecting the indoors to the outdoors, the architectural language is thoughtful, clean, and well executed.
Project Data:
Completion Date: 7/1/2016
Square Footage: 1990
Building Use: Single Family Residence
Location: Laguna Beach, CA
Project Description:
An intimate home for an intimate site, this small, urban-infill project makes the most of it's limited 3,000 square foot lot. Designed as a composition in three layers: Living, Sleeping, and Service, the Del Mar house feels remarkably spacious while also respecting the floor area ratio limitations of being no larger than 1.5 times the buildable area of the lot.
Solid along the sides and open at both ends, the Living Layer is conceived as a frame through which the ocean and city views to the north and south are featured, and the neighbors to the east and west are edited from view. The strong southern light is tempered by the deep overhang above the deck while sunlight spills in through the central skylights over the stairs helping to balance the light throughout the space. An east facing garden window near the kitchen softly filters in morning light and offers a place for fragrant herbs to grow.
The bedrooms of the sleeping layer are separated into three individual blocks with circulation spaces in between. Each enjoys a private garden flush with natural light. The bedroom objects form a cradle onto which the Living Layer is nested while the offset roofs of the sleeping blocks provide planting areas to further screen the living areas from view.
Extending into the site at street level the retaining walls of the Service Layer enclose the garage and mechanical spaces below grade. Along the east side yard a graceful set of terraced steps lead up to the home's protected entry over the garage.
Confidently standing on the last vacant lot along this Laguna Beach hillside, this home manages to be intimately private and yet, equally open to the dramatic views beyond. A serene sanctuary protected from neighboring eyes, and seemingly a world away from the bustling city below, this home is a vehicle for elegant, essential living within a compact footprint.
C.O.T.E. | Committee on the Environment
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Anders Lasater Architects |
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Anders Lasater Architects |
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House on Del Mar
Category
Residential Custom
Winner Status
- Merit Award