Banyan Drive Treehouse
Part office/studio, part recreational getaway, this unique project is located at the base of a large pine tree in the backyard of a canyon residence. The client is an artist and lover of nature so the Banyon Drive Treehouse, perched twelve feet off the ground, will serve as a creative respite from the demands of domestic responsibilities.
Though modest in size, the plan is efficient and allows for a studio space/living area and a toilet room. Deep-oiled wood siding, mahogany windows, and a Rheinzink roof were chosen for their natural qualities and rich palette.
Status: Completed in 2009
Project Size: 170 s.f.
Architectural Team: Christopher Kempel, AIA, Rocky Rockefeller, AIA, Bridget Zimniski
Photography: Eric Staudenmaier
Press: Architecture Durable, Architecture Intérieure Créé Magazine, SaB Magazine, Architectural Record Online, California Home + Design, Vårtnya Hus Magazine, Builder News Magazine, Forbes Life, Details Magazine, C3 Magazine, Dwell Magazine Online, and dozens of blogs
Awards: AIA Long Beach / South Bay Merit Award, Architecture Exhibit in Moscow
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