MONUMENT

Maximizing Land Development on an Unusually Shaped Lot

When our clients first saw the breathtaking views of the ocean and city their interest was peeked. Others had passed on this awkward, yet much larger than usual lot in the hillside of Pacific Palisades.  A rare find to be so large, the bow-tie shape presented challenges that many were too cautious to tackle.  Additionally, there is an underground drainage easement that bisects the lot diagonally.  Advisors told our clients to pass, but Krueger Architects was confident in our due dilegence and we knew that we could make this lot work with all of their requirements for a family estate compound.  In fact, it turned out to be a diamond in the rough with so much potential.

There had been an existing home on the lot and when we first toured the property, we discovered the rear yard behind a gate.  It was an expansive, magical space filled with lush plants and flowers that had been supplied via a water course that was the result of the street-water drainage easement. It was an oasis in a usually arid location.  The existing home was built in the mid-twentieth century when much of Pacific Palisades was being developed.  The lot is at the end of the street and its design may have been the result of simply amending all the leftover land and accounting for the easement into this one lot as it couldn’t be parsed out to others in any cohesive manner. 

The bow-tie shaped lot is wide at the street, then pinches in, then opens up and is larger at the rear. We positioned the main residence at the street level with the lowest level of the home partially engaged in the earth of the hillside while being a full walkout.  The guest house was positioned in the narrow pinch and is elevated on stilts to work with the contour of the hill.  It’s like being in a treehouse–private and secluded. Further down the hill is the separate pool house.  On the second floor is a private office some of the best long range views of the ocean and city.   The well-appointed, professional space ensures the homeowner doesn’t miss a beat when away from the office or up early or late for calls from around the globe.  Adjacent the poolhouse at the bottom of the lot where the land levels off, is a very special place designed by Stephen Billings Landscape Architecture.  Billings, who’s designed the landscaping for the entire estate, has created a natural playscape area for the family’s young children.  Tree swings hung from the underside of the pool deck, natural berms, and land bridges peek the creative imagination through play and exploration.