Bridge Residence

The Bridge Residence turned the challenge of a sloping site into an opportunity to evoke quiet seclusion while creating a grand statement. The taller wing of the L-shaped house abuts a foothill to the east and features textured, dry-stacked Hera limestone that forms a predominantly opaque façade facing the neighbors uphill. Conversely, three levels of floor-to-ceiling glass, protected by deep, faceted frames, opens downhill into the site. This juxtaposition, while using divergent architectural languages, optimizes privacy, solar orientation, and use of the site.

Surrounded by a mature oak grove, the building accommodates access to the outdoors from each floor as the landscape slopes. Not only are connections from the house to the exterior important, but views through are used to accentuate the ubiquity of the verdant surroundings, the pinnacle of this is evident in the kitchen. Conceived as the control center or “bridge” of the house, the kitchen’s generous volume projects perpendicular from the hill, giving it high visibility upon arrival and to the other wing of the house. The nearly 12’ space, with floor-to-ceiling glazing on the north and south sides, appears to float when doors on both sides of the garage/multi-purpose room below are open. Its appearance emphasizes the relationship between the built form and the outdoors, and the kitchen’s place as the focal point of the home.

Status: Completed 2018

Project Type: Residential; Building Type: New; Size: 11,900 sf (includes 1,094 sf garage) and 2,300 sf Guest House

Location: Encino, CA

Partners: Hagy Belzberg, Daniel Rentsch

Project Manager: Andrew Kim

Project Team: Glenn Ginter

Project Contributors: David Cheung Isabel Hermann, Suki Ho

Photo Credit: © Bruce Damonte

Awards:
2019 AIA LA Residential Design Awards: Single-Family – Citation
2018 AIA LA Residential Awards