Brentwood Residence

Los Angeles, California

The Brentwood residence is situated on a one acre hillside parcel in the low lying hills below the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The downslope portion of the property faces South, with downtown views to the East and views to Palos Verdes and the Pacific Ocean to the West.

The ground floor of the main house is developed as a garden villa, with four separate pavilions distributed across the flat area of the site.  The negative space formed by the disposition of these volumes becomes a free flowing indoor – outdoor living area that opens to gardens in every direction. 

The pavilions are each dedicated to specific program elements that require privacy. Kitchen and service spaces are housed in a stone clad volume to the North of the main entry.  The owners’ offices are located in an adjacent volume rendered in wood and dark plaster.  Further East, a media room pavilion and a gym/ guest suite volumes are rendered in dark plaster as well to contrast with the light limestone floors. 

The upper floor is conceived as a closed and private volume stacked on top of and clear-spanning between these ground floor pavilions. A separate lightweight structural system allows for cantilevers in each direction that emphasize the horizontal extension of the building.