Award Winning Masonry Home

Situated in Rustic Canyon, one of the most serene areas in Los Angeles, the 4,000 sq. ft. residence of Ward Luu offers a view of the canyon and gently sloping hillsides to the east. But that's only a small part of the reason why it won the National Concrete Masonry Association's Residential Award of Excellence. The house is effectively divided into two separate but connected areas: a public pavilion with the kitchen, living room, and dining areas; and a private pavilion containing the bedrooms. Filtering in the landscape, the site introduces a skewed procession that leads up to the pavilions and looks beyond to the additional structures.

A glass-enclosed walkway bridges the two masses, taking optimal advantage of the location and surrounding landscapes. A third mass includes a double cantilevered guesthouse resting on top of a studio, accentuating the breezeway and intimate arrival area. Materials of burnished concrete block, galvanized steel paneling, and glass complement the openness of the design and integration of the object-like forms on the site. Working with the landscape into one pictorial image, the simple lap pool lines the back of the property.

Designers gave special attention to selecting the block that would become the defining motif in the home, considering a variety of textures and colors. They ultimately selected a custom fabricated block of white cement with burnished faces for its unique beauty and its ability to play off the rustic nature of the site. To save cost, they burnished only the exposed face of the block. Scaled drawings of each block wall were color-coded and keyed to determine quantity and orientation of the burnished faces.

The Ward Luu Residence uses concrete block as functional and design elements throughout the home. The block anchors the house, providing mass as the buildings emerge from the slope and a counterbalance to the cantilevered pavilions resting on top. On the exterior, the concrete block also serves as a visual contrast to the steel cladding and landscaping. The motif is continued through the interior with the blocks providing a warm balance between the dark-stained wood floors and the white plaster walls and ceiling. In addition, block highlights the connection between indoors and outdoors by continuing exterior walls and structural elements inside the home.

The project involved the demolition and replacement of an existing two-story home. The original home’s site was located on an upper plateau of the lot and was vigilantly poised to oversee views into adjacent backyards. Designers developed a new strategy which instead offered greater privacy and separation from neighboring lots by utilizing the opportunities of the site’s natural topography and foliage. By shifting the new home forward and away from neighboring yards, additional stories of the new home could be claimed by exploiting the lot’s section and building within the hillside. Additionally, by keeping the home below tree level, the home’s focus is more introverted, a retreat within a lush hillside garden.

David Brems, AIA, who served as a juror selecting the Ward Luu Residence for the Award of Excellence commented, “This is a great residence design! Simple, modern, very thoughtful. The separation of public, private and office/studio is well executed. The masonry anchors the design and plays well with the glass. The burnished, white concrete masonry units add elegance to the design. This is my favorite project!” J. Bert Smith, P.E., who also served as a juror said, “Concrete block was used effectively as functional and design elements to create an exceptional house that fits well within the landscape."

To see more award winning projects, visit the National Concrete Masonry Association Web site. [ return to top ]