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A pair of Icelandic prefab pioneers deliver an efficient family home in Culver City. Building smarter is at the heart of everything designers Tryggvi Thorsteinsson and Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir do. Whether they’re testing the limits of indoor/outdoor living or developing a prefabricated wall system that they hope will make traditional wood framing a thing of the past, the founders of the Santa Monica design studio Minarc are consumed with making structures stronger, lighter, and more efficient.

When Austin-based firm Matt Fajkus Architecture was tasked with renovating this classic midcentury home, they sought to open up the interior—not only by unifying the common areas into an open-plan layout, but also by literally raising the home's roof. This strategy increased the ceiling height on three sides of the home, allowing for the insertion of clerestory windows to create a bright and airy open living space. "The raised ceiling maintains the original pitched roof geometry to stay harmonious with the existing gabled roof in the private zone," explain the architects in a statement.

Re-Open House by Matt Fajkus Architecture | Photo by Charles Davis Smith

Re-Open House plans

Indoor-Outdoor Living

Photovoltaics panels were installed at the pool house.

Pocket-sliding glass doors offer seamless connection to the outdoors.

The Goto House is sheathed in heavy-gauge steel cladding to protect against the elements and temperature fluctuations.

"The design gives the owners a sense of connection," note the architects. "The doors are always open, and the family spills naturally out to the garden."

Rich hardwood outfits the interior of the pavilion.

"The design separates public and private space by a covered, but external walkway," note the team. "By juxtaposing these positions, the house acts like a camp—retreating to the tent to sleep and living under the tree canopy outside—a universal gathering space connected by landscape rather than built form."

A view of the living room. "Craft is a key aspect of this building," explain the architects. "The makers—steelworkers, cabinetmakers, carpenters, and landscapers—are all carefully selected to add their skills to the project."

The Palm Springs tucks three bedrooms and two baths in 1,369 square feet for $349,000.