Within the inexperienced panorama of Elysian Heights, a hilly neighborhood in Los Angeles, within the shadow of Dodger Stadium, rises an nearly cartoon-like blue home. All the pieces concerning the single story house, from its azure hue to its sawtooth profile, appears designed to shock and confuse. However earlier than it made such a outstanding determine or took on its shiny shade, the residence was a small and humble two-bedroom bungalow inbuilt 1937 within the model of its neighbors. Sustaining the spirit of the unique was essential for the present homeowners, who took over the property in 2015 – though that aim is considerably at odds with the selection of the nickname.
Casa Nova consists of a renovation of a 1937 home within the Elysian Hills and a contemporary extension that’s clad in blue steel cladding. (Onnis Luque)
The home, now often called Casa Nova, was designed in collaboration between the native Outfit Half Workplace and Mexico Metropolis-based structure agency PRODUCTORA. The residing house was doubled by the corporate Terremoto from Angeleno and aligned with a tough panorama. For Half Workplace and PRODUCTORA, frequent companions who share an aversion to demolition, the present architectural components have been fertile beginning factors for the design of the renovation and additions. “The unique home was too small and architecturally too unspecific,” explains Wonne Ickx, Director of PRODUCTORA, “but it surely had a logical group that was simple to work with.”
Folding doorways from BMC within the kitchen / eating space and main bedroom (pictured) permit quick access to the backyard. Within the bed room, the partitions are set again to create lined terraces. (Onnis Luque)
On the skin, the architects stripped the facade of its historic ornamentation and put in half a stucco wall that “gave the doorway stairs some privateness,” stated Jeff Kaplon, Head of Half Workplace. By simplifying the outside of the present home however protecting its volumetric components – largely the classic bay home windows above the primary exposures – the architects achieved “a extra monolithic and constant look,” he famous. The blue-gray paint job, reflecting however not replicating the blue of the addition, helps solidify that impression.
Inside, the room structure has been retained, with the lounge main straight right into a freshened kitchen / eating space, which is characterised by the intensive mill work that hides cabinets and a wine fridge. Retractable glass doorways from BMC open the house to a shaded terrace that frames a big California pepper tree within the courtyard. “It is actually the primary advantage of the situation,” stated Ickx, “and we made it work by including an out of doors bathe to its base.”
Skylights embedded within the sawtooth roof of the extension convey further daylight. FENIX ultra-matt laminate surfaces are used all through the house and within the shade palette. (Onnis Luque)
Though the design of the annex – which divides the master suite, storage, and studio into three equally spaced bays – looks as if a daring transfer, the architects have put a number of efforts to bridge the hole between outdated and new. The up to date construction, clad with vertical steel strips, stands out from its predecessor to dissolve the steep slope of the location. The distinctive sawtooth-shaped roof line of the previous displays and repeats the geometry of the gable roofs of the latter. Coated blue and inexperienced laminate surfaces type the backdrop for the widespread areas and complement the wood rafters in the master suite.
Millwork within the kitchen hides cupboard space and a whirlpool wine cooler. A custom-made Bosch fridge matches the deep navy blue of the mill. A Zephyr extractor hood, Blanco sink, pure stone and Bosch home equipment full the kitchen. (Onnis Luque)
The three bays open on to the backyard. Within the bed room, two parallel accordion doorways are positioned far sufficient to the rear to create house for 2 lined terraces, whereas the studio within the third bay window enjoys a view of a hidden backyard, which is itself bordered by surrounding blue fences. However removed from being intrusive, Casa Nova’s signature hue goes properly with the colourful planting that surrounds it. Carried by the flora, this blue is unlikely to fade anytime quickly.
