Above: A coral-clad stone wall and lush tropical landscaping provide privacy from the street at the entrance to the residence. High clerestory windows offer light and cross-ventilation and cast a beautiful glow onto the mahogany eaves at night.
At Right: Residents and visitors cross a wooden bridge over a koi pond to enter the home and are welcomed in with a magnificent view out to the Pacific Ocean beyond. The louvered volume above the entry is a landscaped dining room terrace.
The Alma Avenue Residence is an inviting family compound in Manhattan Beach, California. Its design is an elegant blend of mid-century modern and tropical resort, perfectly suited to its Southern California locale and the lifestyle of its residents.
The three-story home gently terraces down the corner property towards the beach. White plaster volumes rise up behind coral-clad stone walls and are juxtaposed with warm mahogany windows, doors, columns, roofs and beams. Glass railings are used along the western façade to allow for unobstructed views of the Pacific Ocean and sliding metal louver panels can be employed to provide privacy when desired.
The residence’s inverted floor plan is a prominent architectural feature with the top floor containing the main living and master bedroom areas, and thus allowing those spaces to enjoy the panoramic view of Malibu to Palos Verdes. Given its location in a dense beach neighborhood, the home’s design required a thoughtful balance of horizontal and vertical massing to respond to its context, minimize its substantial program, and maximize the generous outdoor private courtyard which also contains a two-story guest house.
Right:
Sliding mahogany doors allow the dining room to open up to a small landscaped terrace with tall metal louvers providing privacy to neighbors and the street below.
Alma Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA
Complete
Architecture
Landscape Architecture
