This project involves a substantial addition, new second floor, and new lower floor level connected to an extensive deck with a swimming pool. The design reinterprets the traditional California ranch house as a vertically layered composition, adapting its core principles to a steeply sloped hillside site.
While rooted in the horizontal emphasis and informality of ranch-style homes, the residence departs from the typical single-story expression by stepping with the terrain. The building is organized as a series of interconnected volumes that cascade down the hillside, maintaining a strong indoor-outdoor relationship while accommodating the site’s topography.
The new upper level expands the program and captures distant views, while the lower levels open directly onto terraces and outdoor living areas. These spaces are conceived as extensions of the interior, preserving the ranch tradition of seamless transitions between inside and outside. A series of cantilevered decks culminates in an infinity-edge pool, projecting outward and reinforcing the connection to the surrounding landscape.
Material selection reflects a modernized ranch palette. Natural textures—such as vertical wood siding and stone—are paired with smooth plaster surfaces to create a balance between warmth and refinement. Deep overhangs, articulated roof forms, and large openings further emphasize the horizontal lineage of the design, even as the massing responds vertically to the hillside.
The project ultimately translates the spatial qualities of the California ranch house—openness, informality, and connection to nature—into a contemporary hillside context. The result is a residence that remains grounded in regional architectural tradition while adapting to the constraints and opportunities of its site.
Location: Los Tilos Rd, Hollywood Hills, CA
Status: 2026 permit approval; construction pending
Scope: addition and remodel of a 1-story residence to a 3-story residence
Floor Area: 4,200 sq.ft. / 390 sq.m.
