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.”
