denny Architectural Art & Design

In the tradition of notable Pacific Palisades architecture that includes Richard Neutra, Charles Moore, Ray Kappe and A. Quincy Jones, Predock_Frane has devised an architectural hybrid combining the 'courtyard' and 'hillside' California residential prototypes. The newly completed house has been published in the Los Angeles Times and was featured on a recent AIA Home Tour. The home's formal street elevation gives way to open, casual interior spaces, which follow the descending contours of the lushly landscaped site to a shaded glen at the rear. The design makes much of its connection between the inside and the outdoors, using an array of skylights and windows at the perimeter and an internal court to distribute daylight and provide natural ventilation throughout. Thermal efficiency is enhanced by dual-glazed windows and on the south façade, recessed within deep, shade-giving walls. A layered exterior wall system protects the house from excessive heat and moisture. Rainwater shed from the metal standing seam roof passes from concealed gutters through a state-of-the-art filtration. Interior architectural features include high ceiling planes that delicately echo the sculptural folds of the roof; a freestanding fireplace mounted on a glass floor, stainless steel appliances in a Boffi-outfitted kitchen, oak flooring and a variety of built-in shelving and cabinetry. Spaces are arranged to accommodate twenty-first century lifestyles: A split-level 'penthouse' master suite with ...