Following last week’s visit to New York-based Andrew Berman Architect, we are moving our Meet Your Next Employer series to Los Angeles this week to explore the work of Marmol Radziner.

Founded in 1989, the firm has built a portfolio spanning architecture and interiors as well as furniture design and fabrication. “By adopting the role of the traditional “master builder,” Marmol Radziner integrates a variety of design services with construction capabilities,” the firm notes. “A team of architects, interior designers, landscape designers, metal fabricators, carpenters, furniture makers, and construction crew possess a depth of knowledge and breadth of experience that cannot be found at a single-discipline firm.”

Over on Archinect Jobs, the firm is currently hiring for several positions across their Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. For candidates interested in applying for a position, or anybody interested in learning more about the studio’s work, we have rounded up five residences in natural settings by Marmol Radziner that demonstrate their design ethos.

Hidden Valley Residence, Moab, UT

Designed as a two-bedroom vacation home, the Hidden Valley residence occupies an open, 100-acre site punctuated by red rock formations and cliffs in the Moab desert. Due to its scenic location, the home seeks to blend indoor and outdoor living spaces with expansive decks, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an open internal plan.

The primary axis of the main house runs along a rock ledge, creating dramatic views over the landscape. With three full sides of windows and sliding glass doors, the views in the great room capture southern views of the rock ledge, western views of the red rock boulder formations, and northern views of the snow-capped mountains. Meanwhile, the guest wing holds an exercise room opening up to views of the boulder formations on one side and the mountains on the other.

Desert House, Palm Desert, CA

Located on a five-acre site in Desert Hot Springs, the Desert House is orientated to best capture views of the San Jacinto peak and surrounding mountains. Designed for managing partner Leo Marmol and his wife Alisa Becket, the home also served as the firm’s prototype prefab home, formed of four house modules and six deck modules.

The home is built with three types of basic modules: interior modules comprising the living spaces, exterior modules defining covered outdoor living areas, and sunshade modules providing protection from the sun. Sheltered living spaces blend the indoors with the outdoors, simultaneously extending and connecting the house to the north wing, which holds a guest house and studio space. Meanwhile, a material palette of metal, wood, glass, and exposed facades is joined by concrete floors that absorb solar heat.

Schroeder Court Residence, Truckee, CA

Located north of Lake Tahoe in the Martis Camp residential community, the three-level Schroeder Court Residence is designed to maximize views of the surrounding mountains. The southern facade of the scheme is dominated by windows, sliding doors, decks, and patios to showcase both Lookout Mountain to the south and the Sierras to the southwest. Inside, meanwhile, the 8,000-square-foot home incorporates multiple level changes, reflecting the natural contour of the site.

The massing is divided into two volumes clad in stone below and zinc paneling above, and connected by a glass corridor. The first volume contains the great room including the living, dining, and kitchen areas and the upstairs bedrooms, while the second volume contains the master bedroom suite and a downstairs office. A break in the stone wall of the first volume marks the entry and provides a glimpse through the home to Lookout Mountain.

Mandeville Canyon Residence, Los Angeles, CA

Situated between a canyon road and hillside in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Mandeville Canyon Residence “uses the footprint of the property to strengthen its connection to the tree-filled site.” Accessed from the Oak and sycamore-shaded street via a pair of bridges, the house follows the gradual slope of the land to allow its eastern end to float three feet over the canyon floor.

Shrubs and trees in the front yard create veiled views of the house, which is clad in a solid facade of brick and metal panels. Inside, a progression of spaces leads from dark to bright to dark again. In brightly lit areas, floor-to-ceiling glazing and connected outdoor living spaces integrate the home with the surrounding landscape of sycamores and oak trees. while the darkness that surrounds them “reinforces the light even more.”

Brooktree Residence, Los Angeles, CA

Located in a wooded canyon near the Pacific Coast, the Brooktree Residence sees a two-story, cedar-sided main house bookended by two single-story concrete structures containing a guest bedroom suite and an artist’s studio and garage. The house is situated along the exterior edge of the site, opening up the backyard to views of an oak canopy surrounding the property and maximizing natural light.

The massing of the home is comprised of three main volumes. Large openings carved into each of the three volumes create a connection between the interior living spaces and the backyard garden. A minimal external palette of wood siding and concrete block was utilized in order to complement the simplicity of the structural forms. On the ground floor of the cedar volume, a ribbon of floor-to-ceiling glass links the living room, dining room, and kitchen to an exterior dining terrace and fireplace. Meanwhile, deep, covered porches on the second level connect the upstairs bedrooms to views of the backyard pool, landscape, and oak canopy beyond.

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.