The intention was to orient the house toward the hillside, preserving its privacy on the street side while inviting nature and light into every interior space. The home’s siting and orientation offered a climatic advantage, enabling east–west cross-ventilation facing the slope, previously underexploited. New openings were created to frame views, while promoting natural passive ventilation suited to Los Angeles’s Mediterranean climate.

In compliance with Title 24, California’s energy performance code, new double-glazed windows were installed, matching the originals. In this contrasting climate, the house opens during the day to cool naturally and closes at night to retain warmth.

To preserve the home’s history and identity, the approach was akin to a restoration of the original style, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. It sought to recapture the authenticity of the early twentieth-century Spanish revival style — emblematic of Southern California — through spatial organization, the dialogue between interior and exterior and the choice of finishes.

This architectural language is rooted in natural and mineral materials—clay, wood, stone, wrought iron—crafted here in collaboration with local artisans: Saltillo tiles, marble countertops and solid wood flooring and millwork. The white plastered surfaces—whether it be the exterior stucco envelope or on elements associated with fire, such as the fireplace and kitchen hood—extend this language through continuous curves and softened lines.