02 Jun 2023
Arshia Architects proudly introduces RO54, perched on a hilltop in the Bel Air neighbourhood of Los Angeles, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the Los Angeles basin. The project gently lands a dynamic building on top of a buried podium that replicates the natural topography that existed before the area was subdivided for development. This hollow post-war neighbourhood has been transforming gradually, overtaken by recent developments that rely on size, rather than spatial quality. The concept set out to reduce the massing of a rather large project for it to lodge within the neighbourhood proportionally. It proposes an alternative model within the confines of stringent regulations.
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This project engages an exercise in spatial relationships to accelerate the programs of the house. It utilizes the split-level design to follow the topography of the hill and to connect the floor half-story plates. The plates form adjacencies, both visual and functional, thus allowing twice the utility of an otherwise compartmentalized organization.
The project’s aesthetic was directed by streamlined automotive design which, among others, proposed concealed performance for every technology in the house. The interior palette was based on a utilitarian approach to materials, in contrast to the overall ambient approach of the design where space overcame necessity. This balance of power proceeded against the backdrop of environmental sensitivity and clinical dearth.
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A courtyard, created by daylighting the lower bedrooms from the buried podium, also acts as the rainwater runoff filtration system for the entire site. The project meets or exceeds stringent California green building and energy conservation standards such as low-flow plumbing systems, drought tolerant planting, rainwater filtration, photovoltaic integration, high-efficiency building envelope and glazing, HERS rating of the mechanical system, and more.
The indoor materials specified were sourced naturally and are compliant with Low VOC standards. The design palette was kept minimal to an all-natural selection including mica plaster, hardwood flooring, and natural stone. The project sought out minimal, low-impact, and proven materials, achieving a balance between durability, ease of maintenance, and responsible design.
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Thus far, the project has won 18 international design awards including:
Technical and Data Sheet
Project Address: 1254 Roberto Ln, Bel Air, California USA
Floor Area: 6,774
Site Area: 10,314.8 SF
Site Dimensions :120’x85’
Building Dimensions: 65’x49’
Landscape Area: 6,438.34 SF
Zoning: Residential Estate (RE15-1-H-HCR)
Height: 26ft (max)
Program: New Single-Family Residence.
Substructure: Exposed structural concrete retaining walls with integral pigment (graphite iron oxide)
Superstructure: Structural steel with light gauge steel framing infill and wood joist framing.
Exterior Shell: CNC-milled High-Density-Urethane (HDU) boards coated with mineral plaster
Interior Wall Surfaces: Painted drywall, walnut wood veneer, exposed pigmented concrete, marble slabs
Floor Material: Plaster, Engineered walnut wood flooring
Lighting: Diffused LED light-field, linear LED lights, pin-hole LED lights
Air Conditioning: High-Efficiency Zoned Variable Air Handler units with roof-integrated condenser compartments and custom-manufactured micro-slot diffusers.
Plumbing: Water-efficient fixtures with European durability
Equipment: Design and durability-conscious appliances
Automation: Lutron Homeworks mainframe with Palladium interfaces and shading devices
Hardscaping: Cumaru wood decking, Silver Decomposed Granite, Aggregate finish concrete, Arizona Flagstone boulders.
Waterproofing: Encapsulated foundation membrane, poly mesh applied surface waterproofing over whole house adhered membrane.
Landscaping: Native, drought-tolerant planting.
