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D E S I G N | SAOTA
rary home. Visible to the west of the
site, Pierre Koenig's Case Study House
No. 22 — known as the Stahl House —
influenced several aspects of SAOTA's
design. For example, a cantilevered glass
box comprises the main lounge, which
projects outwards. Surrounded by floor-to-
ceiling windows, the living area seems to
merge with the exterior vistas. By raising a
platform on pillars and caissons, the archi-
tects of SAOTA not only lifted the house
but also created horizontal planes that
intersect with each other while terraces
and eaves were built all over.
The high, arced walls that characterize
the entrance give the feeling of a "held
space," as described by the architects,
ASED IN Cape Town, archi-
tecture studio SAOTA has proj-
ects all over the planet. The
firm made its name through
projects with pure lines and a
clean yet sculptural designs that typically
maximize views. This two-story Los Ange-
les home is no exception.
Thanks to its location above Laurel Canyon
Boulevard in the Hollywood Hills and its
elevated position at the edge of a steep
promontory, the fascinating unobstructed
panorama that goes from Downtown LA to
Santa Monica is unparalleled.
"The siting of the building was the biggest
challenge and opportunity of the proj-
ect, navigating the precarious hillside,"
confesses SAOTA Principal Mark Bullivant.
One particular piece of modernist
architecture was the starting point for
the inspiration behind this contempo-
B
