Following last week’s visit to New York City-based SKOLNICK, we are using this week’s edition of our Meet Your Next Employer series to explore the work of California and Switzerland-based practice Montalba Architects.

Founded in 2004 by David Montalba, the Santa Monica / Lausanne firm operates across architecture and urban design with an emphasis on “creating environments that are both socially responsive and aesthetically progressive.” The practice defines its set of design values as: working contextually; honesty of materials; shared landscape; expansion of space; expression of technique; and sculpted light.

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions in their Santa Monica studio. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or those interested in learning more about the firm’s work, we have rounded up five completed projects by Montalba that reflect the studio’s principles.

LR2 Residence, Pasadena, CA

Located on a hillside perch in Pasadena, the LR2 Residence is formed by a series of stacked rectangular volumes. Each volume contains its own interplay on indoor/outdoor space, including outdoor breezeways, porches, courtyards, covered walkways, and rooftop decks.

Inside, the 4,200-square-foot home includes guest suites, a home office, a gym, and a theater screening room. In contrast to the exterior’s dark, angular, concrete panel facade, the interior is defined by soft wood and bright white finishes, as well as framed views of the external landscape.

Nobu, Malibu, CA

East of the LR2 Residence, along Malibu’s Pacific Coast Highway, Montalba Architects designed the Japanese restaurant Nobu with a low horizontal profile that hugs the steep shoreline slope. Merging function and geography, the design process revolved around “blending the Japanese notion of integration with the land and a quintessentially Californian celebration of light and openness.”

The scheme is finished with a palette of natural materials including board-form concrete, bleached wood, and stone, with bright materials chosen to accentuate the daylight captured through clerestories and floor-to-ceiling windows. Meanwhile, a series of “intimate dining nooks” and sheltered decks reinforce a connection to the outdoors.

Vertical Courtyard House, Santa Monica, CA

Completed in 2019, the 5,540-square-foot Vertical Courtyard House shares Nobu and the LR2 Residence’s play on the connection between interior and exterior space. The single-family residence is split into two distinct volumes bisected by a landscaped strip, with a floating second-floor ‘box’ hovering above the poured concrete ground-level living quarters and basement.

At the heart of the scheme, a three-story courtyard and atrium feed light through each floor, including the basement, as well as providing sightlines to the backyard. The landscaping within the backyard is connected to the living space by way of a folding garden feature in a move that “subverts the traditional notion of ‘boundary’ by allowing the home to feel simultaneously protected and emergent of the site.”

Whitepod Eco-Chalets, Monthey, Switzerland

Nestled in the Swiss Alps, the minimalist Whitepod Eco-Chalets are designed to receive families and groups seeking a temporary mountainside retreat. Made entirely of Swiss materials and products, the chalets feature a larch wood-paneled exterior and interior millwork by a local fabricator.

The chalets consist of two floor plan options: a single-story 1,100-square-foot unit, and a two-story, 2,150-square-foot unit for sloping sites. Inside each chalet, a central service block separates a ‘day part’ composed of an entrance, dining room, and living room, and a ‘night part’ composed of three bedrooms.

MB House, Manhattan Beach, CA

Situated in a densely-packed beachside neighborhood, the MB House seeks to bring natural light deep into the building despite its narrow parcel. Circulation within the house is provided through tall connecting spaces off the entry and screened courtyards on the first and second floors.

The second-floor screened courtyard is open to the sky and includes a small garden and fountain. On the third floor, sliding glass barn doors into the living room open to a deck facing the Pacific Ocean, while an adjoining lap pool and vertical garden open towards the sky.

Meet Your Next Employer is one of a number of ongoing weekly series showcasing the opportunities available on our industry-leading job board. Our Job Highlights series looks at intriguing and topical employment opportunities currently available on Archinect Jobs, while our weekly roundups curate job opportunities by location, career level, and job description.