Mandeville Canyon Residence
This custom residence is inspired as much by its unique setting as the client’s lifestyle. Due to the irregular shape of the site, which includes a small grove of eucalyptus and pine trees, only one of the 3.5 acres is buildable land. To maximize the views, the house was split into two wings – north and south – which turn away from the motor court to face an expansive lawn and the surrounding canyon views.
Breaking the structure into smaller parts also reduces massing and establishes a physical connection with the outdoors; access is available from almost any room. At the heart of the home is a great fireplace that begins in the living room then penetrates the exterior wall to become a wedge-shaped landscape feature and finally, the pool wall.
Status: Completed in 2008
Project Size: 10,000 s.f.
Architectural Team: Christopher Kempel, AIA, Rocky Rockefeller, AIA, Kate Dunworth, Kyong-Bin Kim
Photography: Eric Staudenmaier
Press: Architecture Durable, Ville E Case, Westside Magazine, HGTV's Top 10, California Homes, Custom Builder Magazine
Awards: Gold Nugget Awards, Dream Home Awards
This simple builder’s house was built in the 1940s and a poorly conceived addition in the 1960s drastically altered its appearance. The firm's assignment was to keep the existing foundation and structure but change its aesthetic and spatial configuration. The owners had lived in this beach-side community most of their lives and were hoping to achieve something that felt less like a house by the beach, and more like a beach house. With this in mind, the architects created a home with a stronger connection to the outdoors, bathed in natural light, informal, and very comfortable.
Status: Completed in 2000
Project Size: 3,500 s.f.
Architectural Team: Rocky Rockefeller, AIA, Brian Pera, Christopher Kempel, AIA, Peter Rittner, Anna Gay Del Vescova
Inheriting the project from a client frustrated with their former architect, rPA was called upon to salvage a design that wasn’t theirs. Using the formerly established programmatic arrangement, rPA adjusted and improved a design that initially lacked order and balance. The project was carried through construction documents in record time. The result was a pragmatic and attractive arrangement that skillfully maneuvered a compact and steep site.
Status: Under Construction
Project Size: 3,953 s.f.
Architectural Team: Christopher Kempel, AIA, Rocky Rockefeller, AIA,
Keith Ireland, AIA, Anthony Laney