Porter

Los Angeles, CA

3,200 SF

The Porter Residence, on a tree-lined street in Larchmont Village, reimagines an existing single story, pre-war bungalow as a two-story urban villa. Influenced by the neighborhood’s Spanish revival architecture, it incorporates a clay tile roof, smooth plaster walls, and deep-set windows, but evokes the tradition in a contemporary manner. Shielding the house from the harsh western sun, a wood lattice screen provides shade to both living room and primary bedroom, reduces glare while admitting daylight, and cools the house throughout the afternoon. The screen enfronts a narrow slot of space between the major rooms and the front yard to enhance privacy for the occupants. The main upstairs bathroom looks through this slot of space to a spectacular view framed by an ocular opening in the south wall. At the upper level, two parallel gabled wings containing bedrooms and bathrooms – one wing for the parents and one for the children -- flank private decks.

In association with Dennis McFadden, FAIA