8th Street Residence
Inspired by the rough, tactile charm of shoreline shacks, our client commissioned us to reinterpret a “modern beach home.” Consequently, the design draws its personality from the site’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean and prominent position on the corner of a Manhattan Beach walk-street. A centrally located courtyard garden heightens the classic indoor-outdoor connection to the communal spaces of the first floor and brings warmth and light to the bedrooms and office on the floor above. A gentle wood stair, punctured by glass slots, encourages additional views and moments of sunshine as visitors ascend to the third floor. This final space, complete with a wet bar and spacious deck, satisfies our clients’ natural affinity for lounging beneath Southern California sunsets.
Status: Under Construction
Project Size: 4,941 s.f.
Architectural Team: Christopher Kempel, AIA, Rocky Rockefeller, AIA, Keith Ireland, AIA, Bridget Zimniski, Anthony Laney
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