TOWNHOUSE iN MARINA DEL REY

Renovation.

Los Ángeles, California. 2015.

Archieving a new dynamic, hybrid and fluid space.

The proposal to renovate a townhouse in Marina del Rey, Los Angeles, focused primarily on physically and visually integrating the home’s social areas.  Originally the living room, dining room, and kitchen were separate, well-differentiated areas, and due to the long shape of the lot the dining room’s location was dark and uninviting.  The living room, located on a split level beneath the kitchen and dining room, required a railing that closed in and darkened the space.  The proposed solution aimed at creating a fluid, hybrid space and involved creating a habitable set of steps tying the dining and living rooms, thereby creating a new informal and visually unified space for mixed use.  These steps, in the style of a small home amphitheater, act as a sitting room and a transition between environments, and provide built-in furnishings to hold books and other objects.  The new, more dynamic space, promotes social interaction and provides a new perspective from which to observe and enjoy personal interactions. 

            The use of materials also played an important role in creating a contemporary ambiance.  The new, geometrically patterned cement mosaics, together with the new wood floors, create a warm and timeless environment, along with the renewed appearance of part of the original wooden structure that was uncovered.  This creates greater transparency between the spaces and displays the beautiful original components, which thus become part of the home’s furnishings.

Architecture:

Arch. Ana Lasala

Collaborator:

Arch. Isabel Lasala