Oak Pass Road I and II
Beverly Hills CA
1998 and 1999
Situated in the Benedict Canyon area of the Santa Monica Mountains above Beverly Hills is the 5000 sq.ft. residence of a professional couple and their young daughter. The clients, with a burgeoning collection of art, desired a strong relationship between house and site and an unencumbered interior free from the control of the architect. Oak Pass consists of two schemes, both of which focus solely on the design of the enclosure. Scheme l replaces the existing house in its entirety. Scheme ll retains a portion of the existing house.
Statement:
the ground / the canopy
In both iterations the site and the building are organized as one. The metal skin is loosely draped over a simple steel framework, defining the fixed domestic program. The formal and conceptual basis for both schemes is informed by the tailoring of ground and the enclosing canopy.
tailortalloir, n. [Fr. tailler; to cut] in architecture, an abacus
tailor, n. [Fr. tailleur, to cut] 1. a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothes, especially suits, coats, etc.
tailor, v.t. 3. to cut form, produce, alter, etc. so as to meet requirements or particular conditions, as her novel is tailored to popular tastes.
abacus, n. [L. anything flat, as a sideboard, a bench, a slate, a table or board for games] 1. counting devise; 2. flat top of a column
