Modern black metal tiny house with large glass doors and windows, outdoor seating, and surrounding greenery, in a backyard at sunset.

La Maida Addition

Valley Village, Los Angeles, CA
Residential / Renovation & Addition
Existing: 1,135 SF / Added: 305 SF
Completed

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The La Maida project is a home for a young music industry couple and their two small children in the Valley Village neighborhood of Los Angeles. The project was designed to be built in phases, allowing the house to grow with the family.

In the first phase, we renovated the existing La Maida Residence. A 305-square-foot master suite was added in the second phase of the project. The addition is an independent volume that creates a sanctuary while maintaining connection to the rest of the house.

Modern black and white houses with large windows, a backyard patio with two wire chairs, and a person at the door of the white house during dusk.

The exterior of the addition is clad in a dark standing seam metal that is continuous from the roof to the facade.

The exterior of the addition is almost entirely clad in standing seam metal panels that accentuate its monolithic form. Viewed from the east, the addition appears to have been split diagonally at the roof, creating a dramatic valley. Viewed from other angles the building has entirely different massing, giving the addition a dynamic presence in the rear yard. The master bathroom is covered in inexpensive tile in a bold pattern that was created by pixelating an image of a Sol LeWitt painting.

Modern building with dark metal siding, small horizontal window, surrounded by plants and trees under a clear blue sky.

The standing seam metal is carefully detailed to give a crisp “tailored” appearance. The panels are bent around the building’s corners to eliminate the seam that typically occurs at the junction between the faces.

Modern kitchen with wooden cabinets, stainless steel refrigerator, white countertops, red pot on stove, view of backyard with greenery and stone pathway through large window and glass door.

The house is organized around a wood-clad cabinetry core that is designed to read as an object within the space. The cabinetry throughout the home is made of Mangaris, which was selected for it’s warm tone and subtle grain pattern.

Modern bedroom with high ceilings, large windows, and a glass-enclosed indoor garden with a potted plant, hardwood flooring, and a wooden dresser with a record player.

The home is organized around a Mangaris wood clad “core” that houses service functions, such as the bathroom, laundry, and storage.

View of the hall through the "core" that separates the bedrooms from the more public areas of the house.

The primary is focused inwardly on a shade garden and up toward the sky through two 17’ tall light wells. The natural light that fills the spaces creates a sense of calm. The shade garden, between the addition and house, is a large terrarium that brings nature into the bedroom.

Modern bedroom with large sliding glass doors, a bed with beige bedding, a boy in a striped shirt, a small dog walking away, and wooden furniture.

View from the patio into the primary suite.

Minimalist living room with white walls, a wooden sideboard, an open record player, a potted plant, and windows letting in natural light.

View of the ceiling valley between the 17' high North and west facing vaults.

A minimalist bedroom with a bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a window high on the wall, and light wooden flooring.

View of the north facing vault.

One light well faces north, gathering indirect light throughout the day, while the other faces west to the evening light.

Diagrams of the design process.

Plan showing the existing residence to the right, which was remodeled and added to in phase I, and the phase 2 addition which connects to the home with an enclosed walkway.

Architectural drawing of a house cross-section showing interior and exterior details including roof, walls, windows, doors, and foundation.

Section through addition looking towards the existing house

Line drawing of a partial house frame with windows and a sloped roof structure.

Isometric drawing showing primary framing.

Animation of the massing models that were built to study the addition’s proportions.