Contemporary home in Beverly Hills, Calif.
Posted
06/9/2011
Edward R. Niles considers himself an old-time
architect. He believes he takes on each project like a
doctor-analyzing the site, building models and creating
solutions.
It took 12 models to perfect this transparent, geometric,
contemporary home in Beverly Hills, Calif. Designed for a family
with three children, the home is on a private road and overlooks
Los Angeles with spectacular views in every direction. The
homeowner asked Edward R. Niles Architect, Malibu, Calif., for a
space that expands on the connectivity of the family while
providing security and privacy.
"Clients come to me expecting something that is very
contemporary and to the edge of what's happening," Niles says.
Niles is known for his expansive use of metal and glass. He
appreciates metal for its durability and strength to survive time,
fire, pestilence and other disasters. He uses coated metal in
coastal regions because it can withstand salt-water corrosion. But
he embraces the use of metal for its simplicity. About this home's
aluminum panels, Niles says: "The color is very simple, like a gray
sky. But the ribbing adds a level of scale. It isn't a pattern like
squares, but a formal, classy, presentation of a wall. The lines
change with light and shadows to the point where you would swear
there is something on the wall but there isn't."
The rigid-steel framed home features 4,789 square feet of
0.032-inch aluminum Metafor Panel (MFP120) in Champagne installed
horizontally for the walls and 860 square feet of 0.032-inch
aluminum Dutch Standing Seam (MRD150) roofing in Champagne from
ATAS International Inc., Allentown, Pa. The distributor was Blue
Diamond Supply, Grand Terrace, Calif., and the installer was DBR
Roofing, Van Nuys, Calif.
The home also includes 6,572 square feet of Convex Metafor
(MFX120). The curved panels add to the geometry of the home. "The
spacing elements are the rudimentary elements of architecture,"
Niles explains. "Architects combine these in different ways, but
there has to be a reason for it."
Geometry is used to define areas of the home, which is laid out
like a Spanish courtyard house. This central courtyard is encased
in glass and protected from the ocean winds so it can be used
daily. The transparent shell of the courtyard is what connects the
house, so family members can see from one room to another across
the glassenclosed courtyard. The 7,500-square-foot home includes
six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a sevencar garage, gated security
and an elevator.
"I like the idea of this space," Niles says. "It is like coming
into a giant city and expecting one thing. And when you get inside
there is all of this activity. Inside and outside is a different
world."