About SAOTA
Perched high on a hill in Bel Air, Los Angeles's premier neighborhood, this modern minimalist home with breathtaking views built in the 1970's has been completely remodeled by professionals from the SAOTA design and architecture studio, who combine the aesthetic freshness of today with the organic feature of California's modernism to form a privacy-defined dwelling and a breathtaking view.
At the request of the residents, the old house in Spanish style underwent a complete renovation that maintained only its original structure. And since the location offers a panorama that goes from downtown to Century City with the mountains to the east and the ocean to the south, architects have tried to value the beautiful light of the North American west coast by creating generous openings that invite the landscape to invade the interiors.
A balanced play between wood, concrete and glass is already on the facade, which has been redesigned, according to the architects, as a sculptural composition. From the entrance hall, an asymmetrical passageway carved into the main body of the house intentionally postpones the discovery of the skyline, framed by the high ceiling of the living room. "There is a transition between the severe forms of the entrance, anchored in the slope, that open space for a lighter structure as one moves through the interior," say the architects.
Here the Californian lifestyle translates through the lightness in spaces, which serve the varied purposes of a modern family. In the new layout, the swimming pool has gained the company of linear beds that color the surroundings of the house without hindering the view of the horizon. Meanwhile, a structure creates a natural extension of the inner spaces outward and provides protection from the sun when dining is the idea of relaxing in the open air, watching the palm fronds under the blue sky of Los Angeles.
