Belzberg Architects designed this Los Angeles home for two empty-nest retirees who sought a home suitable for their everyday lives that could also entertain large gatherings of friends and family. The 11,900-square-foot, three-story home achieves these goals with large open areas and indoor/outdoor connections on all levels.

The Santa Monica–based firm devised the limestone-, metal-, and glass-clad dwelling for a challenging, sloping site in Los Angeles, California. The architects turned the challenge into “an opportunity to evoke quiet seclusion while creating a grand statement.”

The home's public and private areas range from transparent to opaque. Belzberg Architects intentionally planned the spaces to provide privacy to the occupants without interrupting views and exterior connections.

Located at the center, or “bridge,” of the house, the kitchen's glass volume extends perpendicular to the sloping site, making a grand statement that's highly visible from anywhere on the site. With 12' tall floor-to-ceiling glass on the north and south sides, and views of the other wing of the house and the pool below, the kitchen is the focal point of the home.

Inside, rift-cut white oak planks wrap the floors, walls, and ceilings of the main living and entertaining areas. The wood provides a sense of enclosure next to the expansive landscape views provided by the windows.

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Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Belzberg Architects / @belzberg_architects

Builder / General Contractor, Main House: Dugally Oberfeld, Inc.

Builder / General Contractor, Guest House: Lee Stucker Construction

Structural Engineer: Nous Engineering

Civil Engineer: Kimley-Horn

MEP: Anteri & Sotelo

Geological Consulting: Feffer Geological

Landscape Design: Stephen Billings Landscape Architecture

Interior Design: Nora Wolin Interiors

Millwork Fabrication: Simon Hamui