Located in the Santa Monica Mountains, between Malibu and Calabasas, near the Saddle Peak Hiking Trail, this renovation project, by studio AUX Architecture, is a radical transformation from a prefab style home to a custom home, which fits perfectly into its environment.
In the United States, in the heights of Santa Monica, the american studio AUX Architecture, founded in 2008 in Los Angeles and directed by Brian Wickersham, has undertaken a remarkable renovation project. The design of this 370 m2 duplex is the result of a series of challenges and constraints related to the site. As the property is in a protected area of Santa Monica, layout restrictions made it impossible to add further to the building. This one had little architectural value; it was dark and had no contextual relation to the surrounding landscape. Designers had to work within the existing footprint and rooflines, dramatically transforming a lackluster construction into a dream home, designed and custom fitted. Thus, small dark rooms are replaced with an open floor plan, allowing light to flow into them. Large incisions are made to let in clarity, views, and to create a connection between the inside and the outside. On the facade, a daring ultra-contemporary composition of two materials: dark standing seam metal gives an impression of modernity, while vertical grain cedar siding brings warmth and conviviality