Matchless design
Living in a matchbox might not sound luxurious, but the family that owns this house in Pasadena is likely to disagree.
It is always fascinating to see how architects go about finding intelligent solutions to problems. Some begin to tell entire life stories – as is the case with the newly designed Spice & Barley in Bangkok. Others draw on history and legends, for instance like the Viking world revisited in Haugesund, Norway. But the creative minds at Montalba Architects in California drew the inspiration for their latest design from a tiny matchbox!
The world’s largest matchbox
What is especially paradoxical about this scene is that the conceptual starting point for the lavish 390 m² (4200 sq. ft.) villa was the idea of designing it like a matchbox. In fact, LR2 House – to give it the official name – is a world away from the small, cramped images conjured up by the word “matchbox”. However, the architects’ thinking makes perfect sense once you embrace the idea as a whole.
Which means going back to the roots of this undeniably spectacular commission – when the clients outlined the kind of luxury residence they wanted to build. Their large site consisted of two adjacent slopes and a small flat base area. One requirement was to maximize the views of the surrounding hills from the house. Another was not to occupy any of the limited flat area on the building plot. But at the same time, they wanted to integrate additional space into their home.
You don’t have to be an architect to realize that this was a singularly challenging brief. But one that inspired the Santa Monica architects to come up with their – initially confusing – matchbox concept.
A homely stack of boxes
Rather than viewing the house as a single entity, their idea was to see it as a stack of individually designed boxes that would nestle in the curve of the slope. The matchbox design came from the “drawer” that can be pushed out. It was this “drawer” element that became the additional space, providing an elegant solution to the problem of integrating extra space within a home.
Spaciousness instead of slopes
Which brings us to the real highlight of this building: the porches, verandas, courtyards, covered walkways and a giant rooftop terrace that combine to transform this sloping site with a limited base area into a spacious villa. And, as requested, all outdoor areas have a view of the mountainscape surrounding Pasadena.
The architects also put a great deal of thought into how the house looks on approach. And ended up incorporating the sloping site into the entranceway.
Real-life poetry
The scene description in the architects’ official presentation text is almost poetry in itself: “Following the existing creek, the front stairs create an arching path to a bridged entry portal, all the while showcasing panoramic views of the house. As the front door opens, the dark, angular façade of panelled concrete gives way to a light-filled interior of softwood and bright white finishes.”
In any case, the text paints a spectacular picture of what it’s like to set foot in this matchbox. With a single step, the overall impression goes from dark to light and the formerly dark façades are suddenly outsized picture frames for the natural surroundings.
Spacious enough for a movie screening room
Inside the residence, a staircase leads down to a private movie screening room, while another one leads up to a specially designed home office, guest suites and finally the living space on the top floor. All of which have integrated outside areas.
But it’s the gigantic rooftop terrace that really takes your breath away. It almost doubles the house’s total floor area.
By this point, it’s safe to assume that this matchless design would set any visitor’s heart alight. But what else would you expect from a designer matchbox as a home…?!
Text: Johannes Stühlinger
Translation: Rosemary Bridger-Lippe
Images: Kevin Scott & Montalba Architects