WALKER WORKSHOP

OAK PASS MAIN HOUSE
Beverly Hills, CA

Oak Pass Main house uses an upside-down program, wherein the public-living spaces are located above ground, while intimate spaces such as the bedrooms are located below ground, set deep into the Earth, beneath a green roof of edible herbs. Not only did doing an upside-down method allow us to use play with unconventional design strategies, but it also encouraged us to integrate much of the already gorgeous natural environment into the design, something we realized early in the design phase, especially, once we laid eyes on the over one-hundred-thirty Coast Live Oaks inhabiting the property, we immediately felt it imperative to incorporate the trees, a kind of conversation between nature and modern. The resulting intersection seems to be where the magic happened. As designers, we’ve always preferred to work with and respond to found landscape rather than eliminate the environment in the process of creating something new. With regards to Oak Pass, we allowed nature to set the tone as we carefully stitched the fabric of the house through the topography of the landscape and the existing grove of Oaks.

The result became something deeper, something more aligned with our mission. The intersection between nature and human-made aligned so pleasantly at certain points, they surprised even us, almost appearing enchanted. For instance, some of the trees were not only starting points for design decisions regarding the layout, but their eventual placement proved to be most valuable in the overall harmony of the project.

Ultimately, the respect with which we approached the grove's presence, allowed for the relatively large layout of the 8,000 sq. ft. home to belong versus appearing intrusive to the environment. Other equally attractive, almost primal aspects of the home incorporate innately human wants and needs, such as an indoor-outdoor terrace, which is accessed through the lower levels of the home, creating a private multifunctional living space by way of massive sliding pocket doors, which can be hidden away to maximize the open-air feeling of the house, while admiring the enormity of the sky, all while in the lower levels of the house. In this space, there is a communal fire pit, where inhabitants can feel sheltered, protected, and warm, within tall retaining walls framing the in-ground space.

In summer, the walls of the lower level stay cool due to their being in direct contact with the soil of the earth, which is a plus in a desert landscape. The pool is one of the most romantic pools we’ve ever done, mainly because we allowed nature to set the tone, by intentionally designing the largest Coastal Oak on the property to hang over the seventy-five-foot black infinity lap pool with infinity edges on three of four sides. To be in the pool during day or night has an amplified feeling of being under the trees, the water's surface not only reflects the stars but the day-glow leaves of golden hour.

Project Role: Architect and General Contractor
Completed: 2015.   
Project Size: 8,000 sq. ft.
Project Team: Noah Walker, Ted Leviss, Erin White
Photo Credits: Joe Fletcher