Echo Park House, Los Angeles / Anonymous Architects

Project: Echo Park house
Architects: Anonymous Architects
Architect principal: Simon Storey
Location: Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Area1950.0 ft2
Photography: Steve King, Michael Wells

This new single family house floats over the steep hillside in Echo Park, California. Anonymous Architects have designed this contemporary home for a young family with four members. The placement of the Echo Park house was very important to avoid removing any of the mature Cypress trees that surround the house. In one case the house surrounds the tree as the tree penetrates through the house. Waterproofing a tree in this situation proved to be very challenging but the system works to keep water out of the house.

To maintain privacy, the house is located close to the center of the lot to create a buffer between it – and other adjoining conditions such as a public street and other houses. In an effort to blend into the wooded environment there is a heavy use of wood – both outside and inside. The exterior uses fire treated cedar siding which is a rating required by local building codes.

The Echo Park house is conceived as two separate units under one roof. The main part of the house is two bedrooms and is designed for a family of four. The other component – separated by an outdoor breezeway – is self-contained with one bedroom, a living area, a bathroom, and a kitchen. This secondary area is used daily as an office and entertainment area, but can easily be closed off from the main space and used by visiting friends or family.

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