Twin Houses on Tiny Lots Stretch Outward for Space
Los Angeles-based firm Anonymous Architects cantilevered side-by-side houses over two steep lots in Los Angeles's Mount Washington neighborhood. Each canyon-side site measures roughly 2,000 square feet and, once zoning and land-use regulations were taken into account, left room for a maximum footprint of just 600 square feet for each building.
However, as the building code did allow small projections outside their envelopes, architect Simon Storey "bumped out" five bay windows in each house, adding an additional 100 square feet in the form of bench seating and sleeping space for guests.
"Building small but sensibly is essentially more sustainable than anything else you can do," says Storey.
Inside, Storey chose to leave materials unfinished and as natural as possible — matte ceramic bathroom tiles, exposed concrete structural pillars and walls, and white-oak doors and floors. The latter were treated with WOCA, a VOC-free Danish floor oil.
"I left the concrete exposed to add texture — it’s a nice touch, because it’s something you’d normally see in much more high-spec houses," says Storey.
White oak was also used for the kitchen cabinetry, and white marble for the countertops. In the open-plan dining area, another window seat pulls double duty as a bench for the kitchen table.
"The bump-outs are designed to function as built-in furniture," he says. "I loved the idea of turning the walls into miniature habitable spaces, and making the house itself part of the furniture."
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