A sculptural, bright and elegant home

Nestled on a long, narrow lot in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, this residence, designed by FINNE Architects, features a dramatic series of folded roofs and a collage of textured metal and wood exterior surfaces. Most of the building materials and many of the interior finishes are sourced from the Pacific Northwest, generating anything but a traditional Los Angeles look.

The majority of the building is shaped on the east side of the lot, creating a linear garden to the west, where a hyperbolic paraboloid-roofed wood living pavilion of closely spaced exposed Douglas fir beams projects. In addition, the magic of the home, located in Los Angeles, California, consists of a pool placed outside, allowing this prominent part of the house to be reflected by the water especially since it is surrounded by a continuous glass wall protected by a roof overhang. Oversized sliding glass doors open directly onto the pool creating a seamless indoor-outdoor environment. Moreover, FINNE Architects’ custom design is evident in the delicate steel light fixture suspended above the sculptural quartz kitchen island. This residence is designed to be a sustainable structure with insulation values 40% higher than required by code, effective natural ventilation, plenty of daylighting, water efficient plumbing fixtures, LED lighting, locally sourced materials and drought tolerant landscaping. The high level of craftsmanship reflects another key principle of sustainable design: avoid the disposable and make the home last for many years.