Studio & Study

The 1,100 sf addition to a large 1920’s historic villa in Altadena, California, houses the studio for an artist, and a study for a curator which delicately connects to the existing villa, it stands distinctly as its own bold mass in the landscape. In contrast to the smooth white plaster villa, the addition is rendered in dark grey rough stucco and connects to the villa with a metal-clad bridge. Half hovering over the gardens on two pilotis, the structure has minimal impact and allows the natural landscape to continue beneath. The dark form seems to disappear amongst the dense canopies of the mature trees. On the interior, the addition extends an enfilade sequence from the existing villa. The same oak floors run from old to new as one transitions through a compressed walkway that opens to a 15 ft tall foyer and skylight, from which is reached a north-facing studio and south-facing study, each with its own proportions and lighting conditions. A thickened mass between the studio and study acts as art storage. Large sliding doors open from the studio to the floating deck that connects to the Northern garden, while a large fixed glass opening connects to the surrounding trees.