Residence in Lima by Abramson Teiger Architects
Located in Calabasas, California, this 4,500 square foot residence was designed back in 2008 by Abramson Teiger Architects.
Description by Abramson Teiger Architects
Situated on the edge of a natural preserve this house takes full advantage of the uninterrupted natural landscape that it faces. The compound consists of the main house building and the garage, guest room building which are separated by a courtyard. The house form is a rectangle, in plan, with the long side composed of large glass doors and windows that face the view. The plan is essentially open with living-dining room and family room separated by a free-standing cabinet. The living –dining space is voluminous with its 14 foot high ceilings and clear story windows. It opens to the kitchen which runs perpendicular to the main space.
The dining sequence transverses the living space in a series of spaces that each open up to the other and to the exterior in a dramatic manner. The kitchen has a series of sliding doors that disappear into a wall resulting in the exterior eating patio and the kitchen to be unified as one eating cooking environment. Likewise the kitchen and formal dining area are open to each other and are on the same axis. They face the view and connect to the exterior with another set of sliding doors that open up completely.
The form of the house is conceived as a series of folding roof planes clad in factory painted charcoal gray metal. At some points the metal roof is either folded up or down to become wall planes. These walls frame openings that are focused on the view to the hills beyond. At points the folded walls lift up revealing poured in place concrete walls that are part of the first floor enclosure. A wood grained phenoelic resin clad “box” protrudes from the house. The “box” which is a storeroom, has a greater purpose of truncating the visual axis on approach to the glass front door, and is an integral part of the enclosure that makes up the exterior eating patio.
The wood grained resin panel box thrusts into the house, containing the kitchen, and introducing a warm hue to compliment the palette of natural materials. Behind the kitchen is a raised landing area that leads to the steel staircase. This landing separated from the family room by a built in bar, is an in informal study and home office. The staircase is a steel butterfly frame with apparently floating wood treads that lead to the second floor master bedroom suite. The stair is free of the perimeter walls.
The swimming pool runs parallel to the house and is a blue dash of water that compliments the view to the natural preserve. Between the pool and the house is a strip of low maintenance artificial turf. The pool forms one edge to the courtyard between the two buildings. A fire pit is the focus of this outdoor living space. There is a strong indoor outdoor connection reinforced by large sliding doors and glass walls that visually unite the interiors with the exterior.
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- by Matt Watts
