The Vertical House,
a 2400 square foot residence located along active Pacific Avenue in Venice, California,
diverges from the pre-established response to front and back yards by balanced
articulation of the skin on all faces.
A simple material,
cement fiber board, has been innovatively used in conjunction with three types
of colored glazing. This allows a powerful commentary on surface manipulation,
defining architecture through the envelope of a volume rather than through the
volume itself. Adhering formally to a simple box, while responding to the site
restrictions that include extremely narrow setbacks and selected views, the
articulated surface formalizes the state of hybridity inherent to the project.
Circulation and
program are defined through a centrally located vertical core. This central
core pulls away from the exterior envelope which adds greater length and
dimension to the interior volume. Inclusive in this core is a central stair which
extends to the roof where a reading room and deck allow views of the Pacific Ocean, only one block from the site.
The steel moment
frame frees the skin from structural restraints, allowing an unrestricted
rhythm of glazing, channel glass and solid panels. The skin illustrates the disparity of
structure and envelope affected by different yet merging positions of exterior
glazing. Most simply, one idea realized
through materiality and light defines the architecture of this residence.
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