Architect and developer Jonathan Segal's cast-in-place concrete house for his family in La Jolla, California, brings urbanity to the suburbs. In temperate La Jolla, California, a narrow building lot and a desire for a generous outdoor living area gave rise to the straightforward rectilinear motifs of the 5,300-square-foot Cresta House, a three-story coastal residence designed by San Diego architect Jonathan Segal for himself and his wife, Wendy. “The house wanted to be a pure form on this site,” Segal says. He conceived the cast-in-place concrete structure as an orthogonal volume, slicing and shaping rooms and functional spaces within and around
Site size: 151,584 square feet Project size: 2,720 square feet Program: A new residence connected to a concert space contained within a 1940s barn. Location: Three acres in a hilly and remote section of Beverly Hills, CA. Solution: The architects connected a new house to an existing barn that they repurposed for a recital space. The bedrooms on the second level offer views of the trees and woodland through expansive areas of glazing. Construction and materials: Since the renovated property is situated in a high-fire zone, the use of flame-resistant materials, such as Ipe inside and out, was important. The
Site size: 8,467 square feet Project size: 2,050 square feet Program: An affordable prototype of a modern spec house designed within the parameters of the Pierson Place Historic District. Location: A residential area in uptown Phoenix, close to public transportation. Solution: Architectural designers, The Ranch Mine, re-interpreted the original architectural approach of the neighborhood. Since the majority of the residences were built between the 1920s and 1950s, the designers had to adhere to traditional materials, such as stucco, and overall massing. In the single-story house, sliding doors open the living and dining areas to the outside, while bedrooms are grouped
Site size: 3,810 square feet Project size: 3,200 square feet Program: A dilapidated 18-century barn renovated for a modern residence. Location: A rural site in South Yorkshire, in northern England. Solution: The architects inserted a second floor into the two-story-high stone barn, yet managed to keep the original sense of the open plan. Two bedrooms on the upper floor are connected by a walkway with a glass balustrade that overlooks the living and dining areas. Construction and materials: The architects inserted a steel frame to support deteriorating walls, with a ring beam running around the perimeter of the kitchen area.
The simplicity of the “swamp hut” belies its multifaceted origins. Conceived in 1990 by Keith Moskow, AIA, of Moskow Linn Architects, the initial version consisted of a prefabricated prairie cottage planned to be built in a wheat field in Kansas for his in-laws.
In designing a studio for a philosophy professor and writer in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, Erin Moore, of FLOAT Architectural Research and Design in Eugene, wanted to create a structure that would leave no permanent mark on the lush natural landscape.
For a Mexican country home, CC Arquitectos positions living quarters and stables side by side to forge a closer bond between human and horse. One man’s passion for horses inspired the design of his family’s vacation home, set in the mountains two hours from Mexico City. The linear, gable-roofed wood structure contains four bedroom suites that float above the ground floor’s reception hall and the expansive living and dining area, finished in wood and stone and outfitted with furniture by renowned French designer Christian Liaigre. Additional quarters for the household help are also included in the elongated volume. Partially depressed
Site size: 12,917 square feet Project size: 4,456 square feet Program: A multifamily complex with four units on a rental basis. A small swimming pool on the property. Location: Dense coniferous forest near the South Atlantic coastline. Solution: Four two-story cubic volumes are arranged around a pool. Each unit contains a kitchen, dining, and living areas on the first floor, with bedrooms and an enclosed terrace above. Construction methods: Steel frame; poured-in-place concrete. Glass panes set in dark, anodized-aluminum frames. Architect: BAK arquitectos Ntra. Sra. del Buen Viaje 1011 Mor'n, Buenos Aires +54-114489-5424 People Architect: BAK arquitectos Ntra. Sra. del