A Bronze House on Nightingale

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

A BRONZE HOUSE ON NIGHTINGALE

SPF: architects

ARCHITECTS
Studio Pali Fekete Architects

CATEGORY
Houses

PRINCIPAL IN CHARGE
Judit M. Fekete Pali

AREA
13000 ft²

DESIGN PRINCIPAL
Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA

LOCATION
Los Angeles, United States

PHOTOGRAPHS
Matthew Momberger

DESIGNER
Adam O. Sauer, AIA

YEAR
2021

MANUFACTURERS
Armetal, Rollamatic, Shüco, Tinosana

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

Text description provided by architect.

Sited on a flat pad near the end of the street, the two-story, 13,000-sq-ft Bronze House replaces a dated single-family home.

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

To preserve existing views, the neighborhood follows strict neighborhood restrictions that limit any new construction to no more than one story out of grade.

The Bronze House cleverly defies the directive not with an affront but with a building that both creates a good neighbor and answers the spatial requirements of our client.

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

The home does not build up but digs into the sloping site to unearth additional square footage.

Key to the design is a central atrium topped with an expansive 100-foot-long operable skylight which infuses the ground floor and basement levels with light.

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

Light-wells located along the north side of the property, also mitigate any dim spots that come from building below grade, as do glass and steel stairways and “sky bridges” and a southern face clad in glass.

The home’s sculptural element is both functional and expressive. A 22-foot cantilevered trellis stretches out to a strip of lawn and an infinity pool.

The cantilever offers respite from the sun during the day while also adding dynamism to the structure.

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

Clad in bronze anodized aluminum bars—that are prefabricated, panelized, and mechanically fastened.

The sheen of the cantilever responds to changing weather patterns and lighting conditions; the metal blends into its environs as the sun drops, almost appearing black. But also reflects daylight, revealing a bronze hue at different times during the day.

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

The Bronze House was designed on a strict orthogonal 20x20-foot grid.

Although not overt, the geometry is experienced on the interior, inducing a calming sensation as one begins to uncover the order within the details.

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

That being said, although the home is established around a 20x20 rule, it does deviate from this edict with purpose.

At the front and rear ends of the home, the walls flare out to create a subtle geometry that yields a wing-like shape as if to capture or embrace the environment.

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger

The move was intuitive as the residence is located on Nightingale Drive in the “Bird Streets.” In short: Why not create a building that is an abstraction of a bird’s wing?

A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger
A Bronze House on Nightingale
© Matthew Momberger


A Bronze House on Nightingale
Plan - Lower floor
A Bronze House on Nightingale
Plan - Upper floor