Design Consultation . Santa Monica, California
 
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Greenleaf, a writer's room
Sherman Oaks, CA

A screenwriter in the Valley needed a place separate from his house in order to write. There was plenty of yard that could contain a larger structure, but we felt that building more than was necessary wouldn't make for a better space, neither inside or out. We enclosed the smallest envelope of activity possible, piercing it with just enough openings to connect it back to the site, to the backyard and landscaping.

Toward the existing house, with its traditional roof peaks and clapboard siding, we presented a rather traditional face. The client has a more contemporary design sense than the house that he happened to buy, so the rest of the structure is fairly modern: a single shed roof with a vaulted ceiling and centered skylight.

Eventually the client needed to expand the space to include other programmatic elements (a workout room, an outdoor dining area). As the functions expanded it became clear that the result would be ungainly on the site. We become disenchanted with the project.