WALNUT

Squashed between regional and neighborhood commercial, on a 140-foot long single-family sliver; the beach house is standing as an inspiration among a single row of one-story 20s and 30s single-family houses. The first work-of-art in its neighborhood, the project elevated a dusky 1918 Venice house into a delight of beachy air, sunshine and splashing water.

With plenty of excess setbacks provided, the interior courtyard and surrounding yards are forming an extravagant and unified open space enjoying the beach weather, sun, and water elements. Rationally, providing a 15-foot side yard when only 5-foot is required, leaves the interior space in deficit. Not in this house though! The full-height 10-feet pocket doors connect indoors to an exterior deck, allowing plenty of space for the interiors to surf into the exterior and integrate with the pool and landscaping. This combination of wood on concrete has helped achieve a balance between warm and cold materials. There is a harmonious flow between opposites in both textures and forms; such as black-polished vs.gray-polished-concrete, black-charcoaled vs.natural-wood, and black-textured vs. white-smooth-stucco and black vs. white paint.