Enjoy 2 free articles a month. For unlimited access, get a membership now.

Vertical Courtyard House

Montalba Architects

SAVE SUBMISSION
Bronze

1 / 11

Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
House
6.43
8.00
6.93
5.93
6.82
Leni Popovici
Leni Popovici Founding Director and Partner at KAP Studios
There's a very robust integration o...
6
10
7
7
7.5
Stefan Weil
Stefan Weil CCO at Atelier Markgraph
Another example of a crossfade of j...
5
5
5
5
5
Omar Abdelghafour
Omar Abdelghafour Founder Principal at Light Space Design
Beautiful details good blend of Jap...
8
10
7
7
8
Christiaan Fokkema
Christiaan Fokkema Partner at Hollandse Nieuwe
The house seems to fit very well in...
6
7
7
5
6.25
Tina Norden
Tina Norden Partner at Conran and Partners
A beautifully considered and elegan...
6
9
7
6
7
Justine Fox
Justine Fox Cofounder | Colour Specialist at Calzada Fox
6
8
5
5
6
Veronica Givone
Veronica Givone Managing Director Hospitality at IA Interior Architects
This home is close to perfect. The...
7
9
8
6
7.5
Anne-Rachel Schiffmann
Anne-Rachel Schiffmann Director of Interior Architecture at Snøhetta
Strongest when in dialogue with the...
6
8
7
6
6.75
Ruud Belmans
Ruud Belmans Creative Director at WeWantMore
This design succeeds very well to w...
7
9
7
5
7
Gudy Herder
Gudy Herder Trend Consultant at Eclectic Trends
Consistent use of natural light, wh...
7
9
8
6
7.5
Sonia Tomic
Sonia Tomic Senior Associate, Head of Furniture & Materials at Universal Design Studio
6
7
6
5
6
Mengjie Liu
Mengjie Liu Cofounder at Sò Studio
6
7
8
7
7
Yifan Wu
Yifan Wu Cofounder at Sò Studio
7
7
8
7
7.25
Liam Doyle
Liam Doyle Principal at Jump Studios
7
7
7
6
6.75
Floor area
506 ㎡
Completion
2019
General Contractor
Sarlan Builders
Structural Engineer
The Office of Gordon L. Polon
MEP Engineer
PBS Engineers
Soils Engineer
Grover Hollingsworth and Associates, Inc.
Lighting Designer
Sean O'Connor Lighting
Landscape Designer
Elysian Landscapes

Dissolving the boundaries between spaces, both interior and exterior, is the primary design intent of this single-family residence in Santa Monica Canyon. At the street front, privacy is interpreted through the building envelope and material organization. From here these elements begin to shift, or disappear altogether, allowing for a hierarchy of security, exposure and circulation that creates a dynamic, varied experience within the plan. Conceptually, the house is split into two distinct volumes with a landscaped strip bisecting the space. The floating ‘box’ second floor hovers in place above the poured concrete footing and ground-level living quarters. Comprised of three stories, this new residential construction engages the landscape by blending interior and exterior spaces through mindful massing. Bookending the first floor is the basement complete with a guest suite, family room and walk-out patio, and the third floor featuring a library, two additional bedrooms, bathrooms and the master suite. Integrated planters and a private deck extend the master bedroom, lending a view of the linear pool and reconnecting to the greenspace below. A bridge continues the core circulation from the library across to the secondary mass of the house, providing close proximity for family members while maintaining privacy. The three-story courtyard/atrium feeds light through each of the floors, including the basement, while providing sightlines to the backyard, as well as above and below. A folding garden feature sees the backyard greenery work its way subtly into the footprint of the living space. This relationship to the plot subverts the traditional notion of ‘boundary’ by allowing the home to feel simultaneously protected and emergent of the site. Coupled with fully operable glazing and the aforementioned interstitial spaces, the home feels occupiable from anywhere on the lot.