Jared Brunk, Shanna Yates, Mike Nesbit: Design/Build | The 577 Compound. Here on a large corner lot in the Angeles Mesa neighborhood of Hyde Park, five blocks from Metro's new K Line with service to the airport, this unique compound offers two homes on a lot, the allure of high design, and panoramic city and mountain views. The design/build team brings years of Morphosis experience together with a hands-on knowledge cultivated building architect Thom Mayne's own home, resulting in an inspirational marriage of form and function. In back, the new ADU has become the primary residence, with exposed structural steel, polished concrete floors, and dramatic views through floor-to-ceiling glass from the Hollywood Sign to the snowcapped mountains beyond downtown LA. An efficient open floor plan connects living, dining, and kitchen areas horizontally, with 13-foot tall sliding doors opening to the central courtyard, and a two-story atrium that establishes vertical continuity. A custom-made, sculptural spiral staircase leads to the second floor, where a pair of bedrooms and bathrooms share a common porch that runs the length of the building, shielded from summer sun by movable perforated metal panels. The industrial palette of materials is softened by hardwood floors, open web truss joists, and an abundance of natural light. Up front, the original 1915 bungalow is consistent with the early twentieth century craftsman architecture of the historic neighborhood, transformed with a textured minimalism evocative of Donald Judd in Marfa, Texas. The design/build team opened up the home, removing walls and ceilings to produce an open floor plan with vaulted ceilings and exposed roof rafters. Vintage finishes remain intact, including wood-burning fireplace, hardwood floors, crystal doorknobs, and vintage doors and windows sanded to highlight patina. Old growth, vertical grain fir remnants salvaged from author Ray Bradbury's home have been incorporated into the design, and new kitchen and bath finishes bring the home into the new millennium. In the middle, a central courtyard provides connective tissue between the two homes, an extension of the living space where residents gather around the fire pit to enjoy a home-cooked meal prepared in the outdoor kitchen. A large flat pad of decomposed granite, surrounded by drought-tolerant landscaping, forms a platform for home theater or live performance. New zoning laws allow for subdivision into two separate lots, selling off the front house to offset the cost of the new architectural home in back. Or continue the live/work tradition, communal lifestyle, and artistic sensibility already in place at The 577 Compound. The design/build team would like to thank Stuart Holt of Javelin Block and Ross Klein of Klein Consulting Engineers for their collaborative contributions to the project. Photography by Taiyo Watanabe.
