SPF Architects wraps Los Angeles house in asphalt shingles for fire protection
The husband-and-wife founders of California studio SPF Architects have renovated their octagonal house in the Santa Monica Mountains and added elements to protect it against wildfire.
Called the Mountain Residence, the project involved the renovation and redesign of a 1980s house that sits on a 17-acre (6.9-hectare) site in Los Angeles County.
When Zoltan Pali and Judit Fekete-Pali, founders of SPF Architects, purchased the home, they knew they wanted to overhaul it.
Octagonal in plan, the house had stucco cladding, outdated interior finishes, heavy ornamentation, and a compartmentalised layout.
"The goal was to simplify and modernise the original house while working within its unusual octagonal footprint," said Zoltan Pali, who co-founded his studio in 1995.
"Rather than attempting to alter the home's geometry, the design embraced it."
The couple and their team embarked on a massive overhaul that would improve functionality, strengthen connections between inside and out, and bolster the structure's ability to withstand wildfire.
The house was stripped down to its structural frame and rebuilt.
On the exterior, the building envelope was reconstructed using "a layered assembly" that enhances thermal performance and fire resistance.
The assembly consists of existing stucco, furring strips, rigid insulation, gypsum sheathing and a vapour barrier. The outer surface is clad in a continuous layer of Class A, fire-resistant asphalt shingles.
"The shingles extend across both the walls and roof, creating a unified exterior expression and a continuous protective shell around the residence," the team said.
Outdated windows were replaced with high-performance glazing, and openings were enlarged in certain areas.
In addition to the asphalt shingles, the team incorporated fire-protection measures such as exterior fire sprinklers, supplemental water storage tanks, backup generators and "defensible landscape strategies".
"Together, these systems provide both passive and active protection measures designed to support the home's long-term performance in a high-fire-risk environment," the team said.
The project also entailed structural upgrades, such as the addition of shear walls and moment frames to "strengthen the building's lateral stability and seismic performance".
Within the home, the layout was reconfigured to create better flow and sight lines.
"Compartmentalised spaces were reconfigured to create a more open floor plan while preserving the home's distinctive geometry," the team said.
"Several walls and three fireplaces were removed, hallways were eliminated, and the floor plan was opened up to create more connected living spaces."
On the ground level, social spaces were moved to the centre of the home, while bedrooms were placed on the perimeter.
The upper level, which formerly held a family room, now contains the primary suite and an architectural studio for 20 people.
New interior finishes include Douglas fir, which is found throughout the residence. The house has ample space for Pali and Fekete-Pali's art collection.
"The house does not have all the wall area for some of our largest pieces, but we created enough wall space for us to enjoy the lion's share of what we accumulated over the years," the team said.
While the couple initially envisioned the space being a main office for their architecture firm, most of their employees and collaborators prefer to work at their Culver City office because it is closer to their homes.
In turn, the Mountain Residence has become a retreat-like space used for occasional design sessions, in addition to being the couple's primary dwelling.
"The renovation transformed what had been a highly compartmentalised and ornamented interior into a more restrained, light-filled environment rooted in geometry, natural materials and views of the site," they said.
Other projects by SPF Architects include a cantilevering Beverly Hills house clad in black and bronze aluminium and a three-winged residence that stretches across a hilltop in LA's Bel Aire neighbourhood.
The photography is by Renzo Pali.
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