Crane Residence

Located in the Mt. Washington area of Los Angeles, the Crane Residence is sited to take advantage of the panoramic views of downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Mountains

The owners, a director and choreographer couple, emphasized their interest in preserving the garden that had been created on the site. Through a series of concept studies, it became apparent that embracing the gardens would be no easy task. The house rapidly evolved into a linear two story design that opened out to embrace the gardens. The main space became an extension of the land. Similar to the yurt that once occupied the site, the house was thought of as a tent or canopy and less of a structure. 

Sliding glass doors surround the main space. On the east side, the kitchen and dining area capture the morning light and view of the San Gabriel Mountains. To the west, a raised wood deck off the living space allows for a captured and more intimate view of downtown Los Angeles. A solid wall of books creates a privacy screen to the south, which faces the owners’ office, located in an adjacent building. The cooler north side is the private portion of the house consisting of a sunken master bedroom and two bedrooms on the second floor.
The exterior utilizes red colored metal panels to contrast the landscape and suggest a more primitive structure, similar to the red barns which are disappearing across the land. In a sense, the home attempts to re-familiarize its inhabitants and the community of the simple life.