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Malibu 3
Malibu, California
Photography:
John Linden, John Linden Photography
2006 CMACN Awards Edition, “CMU Profiles in Architecture”
Jury Comments: The site is absolutely spectacular! The house has a strong presence on the site, particularly from its main west façade. We imagine a dramatic view toward the ocean from the site. The form and massing of the house are striking and the composition of glass walls and solid walls is well done. The shadow casters could have been a little bolder. But overall the house feels bright, warm, and very dramatic. The xeriscape landscaping fits in well with the site and the house.
Essentially two cubes linked by a staircase, this
house’s simplicity counters the complexity and wildness
of the rugged hills that surround it. The house’s
extruded modernist composition is a reaction to many
conditions of the project: the site’s linear
topography; a desire for massive window openings to take in
spectacular views of mountains immediately outside and the
ocean in the distance; the need for fire resistance (no
overhangs, tile exterior); a requirement for xeriscape and
client/architect preference.
Malibu 3 uses concrete masonry block as a major design element. The driveway from the winding canyon road to the house is protected by a long concrete masonry retaining wall. The wall is brought to life by inserting cap blocks randomly along its length. The cap blocks extend from the face of the wall to add interesting dynamics to an otherwise merely functional and mundane structural necessity.
The second use of CMU is the back wall of the house itself. Because the house is built into the side of a hill in a canyon, the back of the first level of the house is a 10-foot CMU wall. The cap block protrusions, as in the driveway, carry through to this wall.
The structure humbly pays homage to a proud lineage of modern homes: the Eames house, Albert Frey’s desert home, Neutra’s Lovell house and other local and internationally recognized projects inspiring for their elegant simplicity.
The home’s interior is a mixture of cool and warm. The main floor, with is common spaces, has a floor of concrete pavers.
Architect:
Kanner
Architects
1558A 10th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Stephen
H. Kanner, FAIA
Principal
Structural
Engineer:
Gordon L. Polon Consulting Engineers
General
Contractor:
J.M. & Co.
Masonry
Contractor:
John Jacobi Contractors
Block
Producer:
Angelus Block Company, Inc.
Owner:
Richard Feinstein
