Schola Architecture has designed this incredible Temple Hills Residence in Laguna Beach, California. The design for the Temple Hills Residence is a study in connections. The project is an addition and remodel to an existing 1950’s post and beam beach cottage. Taking cues from the eclectic neighborhood the design captures the essence of the existing cottage, and reinterprets the traditional post and beam into a unique residence. The resulting solution is a house of two faces connected through a thin sheet of glass.

Nestled into a steeply sloping 5,000-square foot site, the volumes step up the hillside to the rear of the existing home creating an ascending series of interior and exterior spaces, giving access to all levels of the property. While the existing home creates the traditional base for the house, the new addition exploits the modular nature of post and beam connections. A monolithic concrete block mass anchors the addition; from which structure and glass pin wheel off creating ever dematerializing living spaces that open up to the views as one moves up through the home.

At the heart of the sustainable strategies employed throughout the home is the reuse of the entire existing home. In addition, solar orientation, deep overhangs and operable glass allow the house to breathe throughout the year with little mechanical assistance. The palette is a mix of renewable and exposed building materials, eliminating the need for secondary finishes.

Photos: Costea Photography, Inc.