Treehouse Residence

An East Coast couple approached us wanting to build a quintessential California dream home from scratch. To envision a design with the fewest limitations, they acquired the last unbuilt plot in Crestwood Hills, a pristine Los Angeles neighborhood that’s famous for its Quincy Jones–designed midcenturies. We took full advantage of the sloping site by imagining a two-level residence that nests into the hillside and mimics the function of a tree house. A spiral stair emulates a trunk by ascending from the sleeping areas below to the living areas above, where ample glazing wrapping the home’s expressive facade frames vignettes of treetops and the Santa Monica mountains in the distance. A statement-making flat roof canopies dramatically out over the site.