House in Trees

I love it when the challenges of a site become the hero of the project. This site is characterised by its remote feeling and mature trees; this despite being surrounded by dense urban development.  It is an unusual paradox to have such a natural setting that occurs in the middle of Los Angeles a city known for its endless sprawl and crawling traffic.

The goal by Anonymous Architects was to preserve the natural features where practical even if this meant having a tree grow through the house.  The steep hillside allows the house to cantilever as a design solution to minimise foundations.  This act of cantilevering also preserves as much native yard space as possible for planting.

To maintain privacy, the house is located close to the center of the lot to create a buffer between it and public street and other houses.

Images – Steve King