This house is the transformation of an existing intimate 1100 sf bungalow into an expanded space for a growing family. The site is one of the few remaining through-block lots in the Ocean Park section of Santa Monica and gently slopes towards a local park. To engage the cascading landscape of the site, the firm transformed the existing bungalow into a series of pavilions.  

The renovated bungalow comprises the upper portion of the house and functions as the main living area with a master bedroom and study.  An addition to the house was excavated from beneath the original bungalow and supports a new terrace that frames the ocean view. The wall framing of the existing bungalow is left intact, while a new roof is suspended over the house to allow light to enter via interior clerestories.

Within the house a simple palette of materials unifies the spaces. Alternating planes of solid and translucent materials evoke the colored planes of Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park painting series and link the house to the sloping landscape.  Vertical elements include sliding doors of aluminium honeycomb to allow privacy without omitting light, custom maple cabinets, a fireplace covered in blue-grey colored plaster, and a glass-lined main stair formed of colored cast concrete. Upstairs the maple flooring matches the cabinetry, while the floors downstairs are paved with a custom-cut, blue-green soapstone.

The downstairs serves as an extension of the landscape by connecting the working areas of the house — kitchen, study, and dining room — to the garden and lower terrace. The dining and sitting area opens to the terrace for use during the warm summer months. A small freestanding studio apartment was added in 2014, extending the dining area with landscape and terrace.