BRENTWOOD RESIDENCE
BRENTWOOD, CA
Situated in the well-known postwar architectural community of Crestwood Hills designed by architects A. Quincy Jones, Whitney R. Smith, and structural engineer Edgardo Contini, the site consisted of an existing two-story house of little architectural note, untouched since the late 50s. Replacing the existing house with a new 4,000 square foot house and 1400 square foot studio, provided a challenge of maintaining the modest character of the neighborhood, addressing the modernist architecture of the surrounding houses, and capturing the breathtaking views of the Santa Monica Bay. Flat and butterfly roofs, exposed natural materials, large expanses of glass dissolving the boundary of indoor and outdoor space, and a one-story elevation from the street address the effort to stay within the neighborhood context. Designed to step down the hill and blend in with the slope of the hillside community, the house sits surrounded by houses that continue to enjoy the same spectacular views of the ocean and city lights beyond.
A primary view to the south provides an ideal opportunity to use the building orientation to moderate the interior temperatures via the thermal mass of the first floor concrete slab and terrazzo floors throughout. Appropriately sized overhangs minimize solar gain in the summer and maximize the heat gain in the winter. Operable windows and doors at the lower floors capture the afternoon ocean breeze and funnel it via a thermal chimney to the operable clerestory windows at the top floor.
