Residence on Terrybrea Terrace
Tarzana, Calif.
Edmund M. Einy, AIA Architect

Quiet Realm Disclosed in Urban Setting

© Adrian Velicescu

For more photos click on 'photos & drawings' above.

This house is designed for a semi-graded hillside in a residential area where the soil conditions determined that the site must be cleared and stabilized. This led to submerging the structure and utilizing the resulting control of subsurface light for the viewing of the client’s artwork. An entry ramp located five feet above street level leads down into the building, where the view of the street and its noise are diminished and a quiet realm pervades.

The program is organized vertically with living, dining, kitchen, and main gallery spaces on the lower level and the children and parent’s rooms on the upper level. The lower level’s open plan is designed for shifting activities. The floor is seen as a "field" in which pool, furniture, and objects sit. Large pivoting and sliding glass doors extend the space through to the outside. Horizontal circulation wraps this "field" and serves as a path for the viewing of the art displayed on the walls.

Natural light is brought though to the innermost part of the house and connects the lower level with the main entry and the gathering space of the kitchen. This two-story void, which occurs at the crossing of the upper level spaces, separates adult rooms from children’s rooms. The notion of a courtyard house as urban model logically suggested itself as a way of editing out the external context, so the house becomes a retreat.

Formal name of building:
Residence on Terrybrae Terrace

Location:
Tarzana, California

Architect's firm:
Edmund M. Einy, AIA Architect
328 North Maple Dr., Suite 206
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.859.2961 tel/fax

Principal in Charge:
Edmund M. Einy, AIA

Project Architect:
William Ash

Interior Design:
Edmund M. Einy, AIA Architect

Model Maker:
Model Concepts Inc.

Photography:
Adrian Velicescu