The amazing site of the 2009 Design Awards is one of Buff and Hensman's more challenging sites on an acre of land on the edge of the Arroyo Seco, tucked under the Ventura Freeway and the famed Pasadena Bridge. The resulting structure, Arroyo del Rey, designed in 1971 for Richard and Carol King, is a well-scaled, contemporary massing, presenting a blank wall to the bridges and an open and strong facade to the north.

The home shares it’s secluded, natural and rustic setting includes a small creek, flowing along the rear and eastern side of the property. The buildings on the site are nestled within extensive landscaping and mature tree canopy cover that evoke a real sense of tranquility.

Architects Conrad Buff III and Donald Hensman, were principals of the architecture firm of Buff and Hensman. Based in Pasadena, the firm for three decades has produced a wide range of excellent designs of buildings, landscapes, interiors and furnishings. The Pasadena & Foothill Chapter proudly claims the firm of Buff Hensmen Smith as one of its member firms.

Click here for more information on the King Residence/Arroyo del Rey