Malibu

Background

The client came to us with approved permits for a five bedroom family home. The house has a spectacular hilltop setting with far reaching Ocean views. However, they were unhappy with the original architectural resolution of the design and wanted to revisit this within the constraints of the approved permits.

Brief

The brief was to create a holistic design which maximised the site’s potential, while improving the spatial relationships within the house and the landscaping in order to function as a luxury family home. As well as enhance the appearance of the building.

What we did

The project was conceived as a house of two wings, with a central entrance hall which forms the entrance to the property and offers a view through the entire building.

On the public side, the house is more closed to maximise privacy, except for the entrance hall which draws views through the house. Secondary accommodation is concentrated in one wing incorporating garaging and staff accommodation on the ground floor and bedrooms above. The other wing houses the reception and living rooms with the first floor level entirely dedicated to the master suite.

At the front, the house is approached across a reflecting pool and courtyard garden to act as a buffer to the vehicular entrance.

To the rear, A large entertaining terrace with a swimming pool and expansive views towards the ocean is accessed from the main living dining and kitchen spaces, with the double height entrance hall acting as a bridge between the public and private sides of the house, offering a perfect reception and entertaining space.

On the public side, the house uses stone as the primary façade treatment, while the private side facing the ocean is predominantly glass with timber louvres to soften its appearance, maximise views and provide solar control.

Outcome

The potential of the site is fully realised by the revised proposal. A clear concept driven proposal provides the functionality of a considered family home, with the grandeur and glamour that the setting demands.