The existing building was an introverted structure with little connection to its surrounding environment. Our client wished to transform it to accommodate his ideal of a multigenerational home where his parents and in-laws could co-live with his growing family. Rather than completely replacing it, to maintain traces of its history, the existing structure was renovated into in-laws and guest pavilion while a new structure was added as master pavilion for his young family.

To create a complex of shared and independent multigenerational living, a series of garden and activity spaces are strategically intertwined between 2 pavilions (renovated and addition). This creates a secured courtyard at the heart of the home for a child-safe activity space directly accessible from in-laws and client’s living quarters. Rather than forming divisible boundaries, these shared activity and indoor living spaces act as permeable buffers creating a reasonable separation for privacy between the occupants. The zones of overlapping living and multigenerational spaces bring both generations together to create a distinct yet continuous architectural experience.

The architecture is sculpted by its multigenerational culture, climatic and experiential responses as well as respect for the site’s flora and fauna. Our design approach allowed views, solar angles, area climate, and nature to drive the building’s geometry. As a result, the house acts as lens for unobstructed views towards the Glendora mountain ridges and cityscape of Los Angeles.

As a parasol for its flora and fauna, the building is carefully juxtaposed on the existing topography which allows its interior floor plane to seamlessly expand and blend into the natural contours successfully blurring the boundary between man-made and nature. This seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces that embrace the natural landscape to create a symbiotic relationship between its inhabitants and the site’s flora and fauna. Our design preserves the existing natural contours, homestead of growing deer family, occasional bear visitation as well as the California Oaks and other flora on site. The inherent architype of a parasol strategically allows for a poetic interweaving between the natural and the built.

Functionally, the parasol roof form acts as an umbrella that shelters its inhabitants from the elements while serving as a redirecting device for the collection of storm water that is reused on site.

The building is a pioneer of modern architecture as City’s first contemporary style home. Our team challenged the City to adopt contemporary architectural elements such as lower roof pitch and pallet of modern materials into its heavily vernacular of traditional style design guidelines.  As a result, this project paved the way for a new and revised design standard changing the status quo of a homogeneous Spanish and Mediterranean design standard.