SPF Architects clads cantilevered Beverly Hills house in black and bronze
American studio SPF Architects has included an aluminium skin and an upper volume that "appears to float" over the ground level at completed the Bronze and Black House in California.
Located in Beverly Hills, the home was built on a property that stretches between the ends of two separate cul-de-sacs.
"It became imperative to connect the two for easier site access, firefighting and potential escape routes," said Zoltan Pali, founder of SPF Architects, which is also known as SPF:a.
"These principles created the site diagram and ultimately the buildings' forms."
In plan, the home consists of two offset bars arranged on a linear spine running north to south.
The volumes were "deliberately offset to provide intuitive access from either end of the property" while also optimising access and egress in case of an emergency.
One bar has two levels and serves as the main residence. The other bar is a single-level guest house, which doubles as a studio. The volumes total 10,000 square feet (929 square metres).
The upper portion of the main residence cantilevers over the site, adding a dramatic touch to the home while creating shaded areas below.
"The upper, heavier mass appears to float over the lower, lighter parts of the house, creating the covered outdoor spaces and the structure's unique geometry," said Pali.
The upper floor holds private spaces, while the lower level contains the communal zone. Envisioned as "one continuous environment", the ground level has areas for cooking, dining and lounging.
"Generous exterior terraces wrap each programmatic element, capitalizing on 360-degree vistas and promoting seamless indoor-outdoor living," the team said.
In contrast to the elevated main home, the guest house reads as a rectilinear form anchored to the ground.
To unite the two structures, the team used the same materials on the exterior – smooth, black aluminium panels and anodised bronze aluminium slats.
"Materiality reinforces the project's cohesive identity," the team said.
The cladding materials were chosen for their aesthetic value and performance capabilities.
"The panels and slats are installed as a ventilated rainscreen facade system, making the building more water-resistant, more energy-efficient and more fire-resistant," said Pali.
Inside the dwellings, one finds earthy finishes such as white oak wall panelling and large-aggregate terrazzo flooring.
The project also entailed landscape interventions that help tie everything together, with California studio Korn Randolph serving as the landscape architect.
"The landscape, pool included, follows the logic of the site diagram, interweaving architecture and terrain into one holistic, experiential composition," the team said.
Other projects by SPF Architects include the Obama Sports Complex in Los Angeles, which is made of pre-engineered metal structures, and a three-winged residence that sprawls across a hilltop in LA's Bel Air neighbourhood.
The photography is by Mike Kelley.
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