House in Mandeville Canyon

Barton Phelps & Associates - House in Mandeville Canyon
Simultaneity: architecture resembles what chemists call a tautomer - a molecule that flips back and forth between two atomic configurations with such frequency as to be recognized as two things at once. Its simultaneous existence as utilitarian object (walls, roofs, stairs ) and as a medium of expression (meaningful, symbolic, beautiful ) distinguishes it from other media that exist only in the latter expressive mode - the self-conscious realm of art. We exploit this anomaly in work that is at once plain and expressive - meaningful without demanding analysis and happily accepting of multiple, divergent interpretations.



Key Terms, BPA Website

Lindemann/Lemborn House
Los Angeles, California
1992

"A Dream House in Mandeville Canyon":

Our client's sweet Scandinavian dream of a homesteader's log cabin takes hold of this panoramic canyon perch high in the Santa Monica Mountains to create a compact, sustainable home infused with nuanced drama. Located far above the street for ambient quiet and to take advantage of startlingly beautiful views, the house is enfolded in the green of surrounding chaparral-blanketed hillsides that are the real neighbors. In winter, a mountain stream can be heard cascading by near the north side of the house

The entry drive ramps up  gradually to a drive-through garage elevated well above the street. From the foyer, a simple stairway winds upward, pausing at landings along the way. One aim of this naturalizing progression is to leave behind the sense of the city. The whitewashed, two-story pedestal contains two bedrooms and baths. It lifts the sharp gable of the wood-framed living / dining floor into what feels like thin-air. Up here, a kitchen-in-the-round opens onto a sunny terrace and walled garden. Expansive glazing, deep, shadowy eaves, and overhanging balconies make spaces that seem to soar out into nature.