California, 1950s. Modernism is booming and has now reached almost all areas of life. As part of an Arts & Architecture magazine experiment — Case Study Houses — modern single-family homes are being built. Immortalized in Julius Shulman's iconic black-and-white photographs, like the famous Stahl House in Los Angeles designed by Pierre Koenig, they capture the spirit of the times. It was the atmosphere of the California villas of the period that inspired the design of the single-family house in a — slightly less sunny — suburban town.
View of the house from the garden
Photo: Oni Studio
californian inspirations
The authors of the project are architects from the Warsaw studio MFRMGR Architekci. By design, it was to be a spacious, single-story building with an area of no more than two hundred square meters, in which the residents would feel safe.
The beginning of work on this topic involved listening to the clients with their very precise expectations regarding the function of the future house. They were very aware of their needs and had a wealth of knowledge and imagination, which gave us the impetus to design just such a house. It contributed a bit to the fact that, looking at the building, we feel the delicate atmosphere of a California villa from the 1950s — the designers explain.
axonometry and first floor plan
© MFRMGR Architekci
The building is formed by three zones, each on a rectangular plan, connected in an L-shape — the smallest module houses the garage, right behind it is located the bedroom area, and further on — the largest living area with a separate pantry and the homeowner's studio. The modules are separated by narrow passages framing the views.
Passages between modules frame views
photo: Oni Studio
levitating roof
The horizontal, minimalist block was situated on a concrete pedestal. It is topped by a high, protruding beyond the line of the facade, massive attic wall, which obscures the sloping roofs of the house. The horizontal divisions are also emphasized by a strip of longitudinal windows illuminating the interior — skylights placed high surround the entire building, making the upper part of the block seem to float.
The horizontal divisions are emphasized by a strip of longitudinal windows, which illuminates the interior
Photo: Oni Studio
Actually, the windows through which one can look outside are only — a sight window from the kitchen to have a view of the driveway zone, and a panoramic window from the living room with an exit to the garden. [...] The window frames and doors were made of powder-coated aluminum in a light shade of gray. The entire house is plastered and painted white, which reinforces its geometric character — the architects explain. — It is, so to speak, a "light paper pavilion for living" against the backdrop of a beautiful green plot — they add.
A panoramic window in the living room with an exit to the garden
Photo: Oni Studio
