Dezeen Magazine

Second House by FreelandBuck

Faceted volumes surround courtyard at FreelandBuck's Second House

This house in Los Angeles by US architecture firm FreelandBuck comprises a series of volumes with steeply pitched tops, which draw on the roofscape of its neighbour.

Second House by FreelandBuck

Locally based FreelandBuck designed the 1,500-square-foot (139-square-metre) residence as a series of irregular volumes tucked behind an existing property in the Culver City neighbourhood.

Second House by FreelandBuck

The residence – aptly called Second House – has an angular form that playfully takes cues from the neighbour's gabled rooftops.

The architecture firm fragmented the property into the different blocks to create a variety of interior and exterior spaces on the dense site. Small courtyards and balconies give the occupants opportunities to enjoy the city's warm climate.

Second House by FreelandBuck

"Each room of the house is expressed as a distinct block paired with a corresponding exterior space," said FreelandBuck in a project statement.

Grey cement boards clad the home's exterior, with the aim to create a "monolithic mass" and provide unity between different elements.

Second House by FreelandBuck

The ground floor of the two-storey property is organised around an interior courtyard. Residents can access the home via the alleyway at the back where the two parking spaces are located.

Second House by FreelandBuck

A corridor lined with a storage wall connects the kitchen and dining room to the living room on the opposite side of the courtyard. All of the walls facing this exterior space are made of glass.

Second House by FreelandBuck

"Even though the programme is articulated as separate volumes, the interior and exterior spaces are woven together into a single, visually continuous living space," said the studio.

On the terrace, a triangular fireplace recalls the building's angular aesthetic.

Second House by FreelandBuck

Bedrooms are accessed via separate staircases to offer more privacy. From the exterior, these rooms are clearly defined as trapezoidal shapes that slant away from each other.

"In contrast to the differentiated but open ground floor, the master bedroom and guest room at the second level are isolated volumes, each contained in a separate wedge," said the firm.

Second House by FreelandBuck

Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom. Additionally, the master bedroom opens onto a south-facing balcony that overlooks the courtyard below.

Windows are designed to be higher than usual, to capture views of the sky and surrounding hills.

Second House by FreelandBuck

The interiors are intentionally sparse, with surfaces including bleached pine and crisp white walls. Furniture by American brand Knoll adds to the pared-back decor.

However, the architects used colour for the stairwells, providing a contrast to the rest of the home.

Second House by FreelandBuck

"The interior stairs are painted bright red and orange, with the colours leaking into adjacent bedrooms and living spaces depending upon light intensity and time of day," said FreelandBuck.

Second House by FreelandBuck

FreelandBuck recently completed another home in Los Angeles, which is tucked into a steep site in the northern part of the city. Other properties that make the most of Southern California's good weather include a renovated home overlooking Mulholland Drive by Heusch and a "sliced and folded" residence by Urban Operations.

Photography is by Eric Staudenmaier.

Project credits:

Lead designers: Brennan Buck, David Freeland
Project team: Johannes Beck, Nick Schwaller
Furniture: provided by Knoll Inc

More images and plans

Second House by FreelandBuck
Site plan
Second House by FreelandBuck
Ground floor plan
Second House by FreelandBuck
First floor plan
Second House by FreelandBuck
Axonometric plan
Second House by FreelandBuck
Section
Second House by FreelandBuck
Section plan
Second House by FreelandBuck
Second House by FreelandBuck
Second House by FreelandBuck
Second House by FreelandBuck
Second House by FreelandBuck
Second House by FreelandBuck
Second House by FreelandBuck