Hilts Villa

Client: 1614-1618 Hilts L.L.C.
Location: Westwood, Los Angeles
GFA:28,213 ft²
Completed

The project will transform the current single family house and the two-story apartment building on the two adjacent lots into a four-story, twelve-unit residential building, which will significantly increase the density and compactness of use of this site.

As the design team envisioned, the project transformed the site from two small buildings into a 4-story, 12-unit residential complex, which will significantly increase the density of the site. To be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and reduce the impact of the 4-story massing, we consciously utilize massing composition, instead of style‐specific design strategy, to achieve architectural intensity. The pitched roof element was introduced to break down the 4‐story building volume into modulation. With subtle twisting and rotating volumes working with rich material variety, the design strikingly stands out while evoking a sense of community.

Great care is given to breaking down the four‐story building volume into one or two‐story components so the building appears to be a congregation of small houses, provoking individuality in a village with harmony and a sense of community.

This design strategy makes this project homey and contextually friendly in this neighborhood with many single‐family homes. Meanwhile, sustainable features and green technologies are adopted in the design to achieve resource conservation, energy generation, and to address urban growth issues.

This project was designed by amphibianArc in 2014. Image credited by amphibianarc.