saez pedraja & CALMA reinterpret california cottage with contemporary beach house in santa monica

architect juan saez pedraja has collaborated with multidisciplinary studio CALMA to create the ‘wang’ cottage in santa monica, california. the project is designed to acknowledge the evolving character of the neighborhood, along with its contradictions: the urban bustle versus the coastal calm; the traditional bungalows, and cottages against new oversized developments. with the intent to harmonize these elements, the newly constructed residence sets a tone and scale that fits the complex surroundings.

the house exhibits both contemporary clean and straight lines but also a gable roof and cedar siding reminiscent of a traditional cottage
all images courtesy of ignacio espigares

the house takes shape as a contemporary clean volume with straight simple lines, but at the same time, the gable roof and cedar siding soften the structure, generating materiality reminiscent of a typical southern california cottage. in this way, the dwelling by saez pedraja and CALMA reclaims the beachy character of the neighborhood and the laidback local lifestyle. the relationship between the interior and the exterior is formed by carving the house’s volume in strategic areas, creating a side patio on the ground floor and two roof decks on the upper floor.

the front yard connects the house with the neighborhood – a steel overhang demarcates the entrance

on the ground floor, instead of maximizing the buildable area, the house is positioned an additional 3.5 feet from the required setback, in order to create a linear semi-covered patio along the street side. this design approach makes the living space actually much larger, by creating an outdoor extension of the living/dining area separated by large glass sliders that can stack in front of the house stairs. this living/dining area appears as a double-height space connected to the entrance and the kitchen on the north side, and to the stairs on the south side. the kitchen and other appliances are integrated into the wood cabinets, generating a seamless continuation of the living environment.

a large glass wall visually connects the stairs with the exterior

on the second floor, the house cantilevers over the side patio creating an open gallery that overlooks the dining area and connects the master suite to the guest bedroom and bathroom. a built-in bookcase with window seats provides storage, as well as a place to sit at the same height of the canopy of the adjacent street’s trees. upstairs, a loft level with a sloped ceiling connects both roof decks. when the loft skylights are open, the air flows from the side yard patio through the double-height space and ventilates the entire house as a passive cooling strategy.

the roofline cutouts generate roof decks on both sides of the loft, offering views of the santa monica skyline and the pacific ocean 

for the interiors, saez pedraja and CALMA selected a neutral palette of white and different shades of wood. straight, pure lines allow keeping the focus on the materiality, the spatial qualities, and the evolving light which shifts throughout the day. the wood cabinets, doors, and trims are maple, stained to match the french oak floor finish. hardware is kept to the minimum and mostly replaced by built-in finger pulls.

a built-in library opens to the gallery and to the mezzanine level

the exterior of the house is cladded with cedar siding. the planks were previously treated with a natural stain that accelerates the aging process, providing a silvery patina and aged weathered look that, together with the knotty planks makes us recall the typical beach cottage look. the windows and doors finish is anodized aluminum which matches the standing seam roof and resonates with the silvery tones of the siding.

the double-height living and dining space connects visually with the library and gallery on the second floor

long sliding doors connect the side yard patio with the living/dining area

the house entry door is built in white oak and stained to match the french oak floors and maple cabinets

the master bedroom connects visually with a loft level roof deck

the loft level provides access to roof decks on both sides, creating the feeling of an extended interior space

the openings in the loft level capture light that cascades down to the ground floor

the window seats built into the library provide a place to seat at the height of the canopy of the street’s strawberry trees

project info:

name: wang house
architects: juan saez pedraja, CALMA
project team: juan saez pedraja, césar córdoba san emeterio, sergio córdoba san emeterio
contractor: OCS
structural engineering: cristmar designs
furniture and houseware: knoll and muuto
location: santa monica, california, the US

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom