14 DIGS.NET | 6.12.2020
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P R O F I L E | L R 2 H O U S E
NEUTRAL TONES AND
A THOUGHTFULLY
CURATED INTERIOR
HELP CREATE A
RICH YET CALM
AND CENTERING
ENVIRONMENT
ENHANCED BY
BEAUTIFUL VIEWS.
hard and nearly black concrete panel compared
with an interior of light golden warmth of the plywood
in the natural tone of the landscape—"intended to
express [the] intensity and position the building
in stark contrast to its site and landscape," notes
Montalba. Each material relates to the scenery.
A signature of the design is the flow of the entry
space, which is ingeniously sequenced for an
experience. One approaches the house from below,
noting how the uppermost volume nearly hangs off
its edge, then passes under the bridging volume that
extends to the cascade of concrete steps fixed to the
exterior surround and natural creek just beyond. "It
was important for the home to have a sense of arrival,
a reset to leaving the rest of the world behind, and to
set a new tone as they enter the home," says Montalba,
adding that the residence engages from the start.
"Each space allows the client to communicate with the
outdoors without being outside, whether it's through
the surrounding views of hills and valley or reflections
of the trees on the various glass surfaces."
The interior, meanwhile, is effortless—elegant yet
unaffected. Furnishings are contemporary. Lines are
clean. Tones are neutral and interior touches natural
to interact with the chaparral surround. "At the core of
our work is a relationship between a quiet simplicity
driven by a desire to be conceptual and spiritual, but
also pragmatic and create spaces people want to
live in," says Montalba, acknowledging what is easier
said than done. But LR2 House argues the point. It is
exactly as described. montalbaarchitects.com
