From the 1930s to the 1950s, Los Angeles developers rapidly built large suburban tracts of modest, two-bedroom homes that reflected the lifestyle and market of the time. Fast forward to today, and many of the new homes being built in these aging neighborhoods are large, four-plus-bedroom constructions that are at odds with their surroundings.

When Joseph Dangaran decided to build a home for his growing family in Culver City, he decided to do things differently. The architect and principal of Woods + Dangaran designed a residence that’s sympathetic to the scale of the existing neighborhood.

“The goal was to design a home that did not impose on the neighborhood in scale, materiality, or form,” he says. “The first floor maintains a setback consistent with the neighborhood, and its second level is pushed away from the street much further than is required by code.”

The home’s exterior form draws inspiration from the simplicity and confidence of the Tetsuka House by British architect John Pawson. “The nuances of texture and color differences between the lower and upper level are quite lovely,” says Joseph. “It served as inspiration for the simplicity and minimalism of the building form when designing my own home.”

The home is organized around two main axes. A north-south axis runs down the center of the living area and includes the kitchen, dining area, and exterior courtyard. The other axis runs east-west and includes the breakfast nook, kitchen, family room, two-story exterior atrium space, and the covered area of the backyard.

A guest bedroom, office, and shared bathroom are tucked into the northwest portion of the home, offering a retreat from the public spaces. Two children’s bedrooms and a shared bathroom are stacked directly above, while the master suite is located off the south side of the home.

The master suite features large glazed walls that form the second level of the atrium and provide natural light and ventilation to the room. Similarly, a skylight above the tub in the master bathroom creates a light-filled refuge, while the master shower boasts an entirely glass ceiling—making it possible to shower by the light of the full moon.

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The exterior courtyard functions as the formal living room of the home, and most evenings the family opens all the doors to form one large “great room” space. “The opening to the sky acts as an oversized skylight, and the center fire pit replaces the traditional fireplace and hearth,” says Joseph. “The space is defined by the continuation of the fascia, and it frames the sky and the podocarpus hedges in the yard to the north.”

One of the key drivers in the design was to create flexible interior and exterior spaces for entertaining. “The home has the ability to easily open up or close down based on our mood or the activities taking place—we have hosted personal events with close to 100 people, and intimate gatherings of just a few couples,” says Joseph. “The connection to each garden space can be experienced as a singular event, or all can be opened to allow connections. It feels like we are in our own private oasis, even though we’re in the middle of the city.”

The couple’s now-17-month-old son also loves the connection between the interior and exterior spaces, and visibility throughout the property was another goal so that the couple could keep an eye on him whether he’s in the backyard, front yard, or courtyard.

“Our son also loves to look through all of the skylights in the home,” says Joseph. “They are great for bringing in natural light, but they also grant him a visual connection to the outside. He’s constantly looking up at the clouds, rain, sun, moon, and airplanes in a way that we never would have imagined.”

The exterior form is completely rendered in dark olive–colored plaster, and the ground level is planted with creeping fig vines that will eventually envelop the first-floor walls and ground the home to the landscaped site.

The interior is defined by custom white oak millwork in each room, which the couple describe as “integral to our daily life.” The warmth of the timber complements the earth-toned exterior plasterwork, while the natural grain and color offers a degree of contrast that adds texture and subtle complexity to the material palette. “It was the most costly finish material in the entire project,” reveals Joseph. “It was worth it, though.”

The budget was reduced by constructing the home entirely from wood, with no structural steel—a move that also meant the build was fairly quick. Additionally, the exterior is finished in acrylic plaster, an economical material that has been elevated through its detailed and deliberate application. The edges are defined by metal profiles that enhance the simple forms.

“The design of the home is a very simple exterior and interior floor plan that looks boring on paper, but is quite dynamic in experience,” says Joseph. “The beauty is in the restraint and simplicity.”

Related Reading:

My House: An Architect Couple’s Playful Courtyard Home in Los Angeles

How This Couple Broke The Rules in a L.A. Suburb

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Woods + Dangaran / @woods_dangaran

Structural Engineer: John Labib & Associates

Landscape Design Company: Chris Sosa Landscape Architect

Lighting Design: Helius Lighting Group

Interior Design: Woods + Dangaran

Sound Engineer: Legato Home Music + Theater

Cabinetry Design: Woods + Dangaran

Photography: Francis Dreis

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