Site Plan (Drawing: Drew Hood)
Threshold (Photo: David Lena)
Floor Plan and Section (Drawing: Drew Hood)
Library (Photo: David Lena)
Bathroom (Photo: David Lena)
Path (Photo: David Lena)
Lacking a conventional client driven program, Lago Vista is the unique product of a collaboration between practicing architect, educated architecture observer, and trained designer. The result of this relationship is a nature-inspired sculptural retreat nestled in a canyon of trees. Unlike most buildings, the guesthouse experience begins with a sense of discovery.
From the street, it reveals itself as a solid, uninterrupted wall and play of massing while from the yard it reveals itself as a subtle garden feature echoing the color and breezes of the grass reeds in the surrounding landscape. The retreat is not simply an object in the landscape but from its interior presents its unique interrelationship with the canyon and city views. A tall dominant cube and a low parallel rectangle divide the uses. One experiences the house in three primary ways: nature, study, and repose. The subservient rectangle serves as both kitchen and bedroom wing, while the larger cube affords space for reading, relaxation, and work. A stepped passage simultaneously bridges the two spaces while its glass enclosure invites a visual connection with nature. The passage then emerges into the primary living space through a threshold of bookshelves. A band of wrap-around windows parallel to the bookshelves serve to visually de-materialize two of the corners. The third corner juxtaposes the concrete floor with the polished glass of a reverse corner window that invites the hillside view into the space.
From the street, it reveals itself as a solid, uninterrupted wall and play of massing while from the yard it reveals itself as a subtle garden feature echoing the color and breezes of the grass reeds in the surrounding landscape. The retreat is not simply an object in the landscape but from its interior presents its unique interrelationship with the canyon and city views. A tall dominant cube and a low parallel rectangle divide the uses. One experiences the house in three primary ways: nature, study, and repose. The subservient rectangle serves as both kitchen and bedroom wing, while the larger cube affords space for reading, relaxation, and work. A stepped passage simultaneously bridges the two spaces while its glass enclosure invites a visual connection with nature. The passage then emerges into the primary living space through a threshold of bookshelves. A band of wrap-around windows parallel to the bookshelves serve to visually de-materialize two of the corners. The third corner juxtaposes the concrete floor with the polished glass of a reverse corner window that invites the hillside view into the space.
Aleks Istanbullu Architects is an award-winning professional design studio with aesthetic foundations rooted in the Modernism of Europe, Chicago, and Southern California. We work in a creative environment with a team of architects committed to producing contemporary architecture. Our balanced practice resists niche marketing and addresses design challenges that range from smaller single-family housing to community institutions.
Our process distills each design premise to a core set of requirements and desires. Within this context, we aim to craft buildings that last and inspire. We respect the nature of materials, both traditional and new, and carefully detail our buildings to celebrate the craft of our profession, while optimizing the effectiveness of current technologies and labor. Our high ratio of built projects demonstrates our realistic approach to design, as well as our experience in guiding projects through the construction process.
Aleks Istanbullu’s continued commitment to teaching, competitions, and collaborations with other architects maintains the intellectual rigor and contemporary spirit of the studio.
Our process distills each design premise to a core set of requirements and desires. Within this context, we aim to craft buildings that last and inspire. We respect the nature of materials, both traditional and new, and carefully detail our buildings to celebrate the craft of our profession, while optimizing the effectiveness of current technologies and labor. Our high ratio of built projects demonstrates our realistic approach to design, as well as our experience in guiding projects through the construction process.
Aleks Istanbullu’s continued commitment to teaching, competitions, and collaborations with other architects maintains the intellectual rigor and contemporary spirit of the studio.
Aleks Istanbullu Architects, Inc.
1659 11th Street
Santa Monica CA 90404
Phone +1 310 450 8246
Fax +1 310 399 1888
1659 11th Street
Santa Monica CA 90404
Phone +1 310 450 8246
Fax +1 310 399 1888
Owner
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