Case Study 2.0
Pacific Palisades and Altadena
2025

The plan draws from the mission typology of the region, with a central courtyard acting as the primary separation between public and private spaces. As an infill lot, surrounded by adjacent housing on 3 sides, its focus is inward, acting as a Presidio, serving as a fortress against the elements, with thick masonry walls providing thermal mass, durability, and protection. The Waterplace, a vertical masonry element, stands as a testament to resilience, like the fireplaces that remained standing after the fires.

Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Usonian houses, the design embraces simplicity, efficiency, and a connection to nature. The hearth, represented here by the Waterplace, serves as the focal point of the home, echoing Wright’s emphasis on the hearth as the heart of the house. This element not only symbolizes warmth and gathering but also integrates fire protection and daily utility into the fabric of the home.

The floor plan and volumes are compact and efficient, with no wasted space. It is designed as a single-level home to accommodate aging in place, ensuring accessibility without level changes. At 2,000 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and a 400 square foot garage, the home references the post–World War II working-class bungalow, reinterpreted with enduring materials and a focus on elemental experience. The spatial clarity reflects an economy of form—each volume is purposeful, and each space contributes to a holistic experience of light, shadow, and water.

Water serves a dual role—a protective element against fire and a daily, immersive presence. The Waterplace, a recirculating water feature, is not simply a fire suppression system; it is an integrated architectural feature meant to be used, experienced, and enjoyed every day, not just activated in an emergency. This approach ensures that resources are allocated toward something that enhances daily life rather than spending money on a system that is only valuable in moments of crisis. In a region where water is scarce, its presence within the architecture serves as both a reminder of its necessity and a poetic counterpoint to the arid landscape.

The experience of water in the home is both natural and theatrical, integrating the nostalgia of Southern California’s film, television, and amusement park roots. It draws from the Tiki Room at Disneyland, where rain is staged as performance, transforming water into an immersive spectacle, much like the fake rain used on movie sets. This house, however, engages with real water—not as artifice but as an architectural and elemental presence. The way light hits the Waterplaces reflecting ponds and reservoirs projecting ripples of light inside the space, the way rain activates the courtyard, and the way reflections shift throughout the day all contribute to a heightened awareness of water as both an aesthetic and functional force. Additionally, reflecting ponds and surge tanks are integrated into the design as ponds and pools, enhancing the visual and sensory experience of the home while also serving practical functions. These elements further emphasize the seamless blend of functionality and aesthetics.

Light is equally integral, moving through the home in a way that marks seasonal and daily cycles. Shadows and illumination shift dynamically, defining space and reinforcing the home’s dialogue with time. Bedrooms have north facing fenestrations while public spaces have south facing fenestrations, taking advantage of natural daylighting. While oriented on an East/West access to allow the interior courtyard changing sunrise and sunset light shows throughout the year, east and west facing windows are limited for heat gain efficiency. The structure is built primarily from concrete masonry units (CMU), chosen for their durability, efficiency, and ability to act as both a finish and structural material. Exterior finishes are meant to age and patina over time, allowing aesthetic space for wear. Spans are limited, achieved by open steel web joists, echoing the near by Case Study 8. Mechanical and plumbing chases are provided in a simple drop ceiling structure that seamlessly aligns with the structural bays of the house.

This home is not a static object; it is an evolving experience. It is a structure that responds—to the seasons, to fire, to water, to time. An expression of lightness and weight, permanence and change, reflecting both the historical and light hearted ethos of West Coast architecture while grounding itself in an understanding of elemental, essential living.