30th Street House

30th Street House
© Gregg Segal

30th Street House

a Truck Studio

CONSTRUCTION
Rough Workshop, Bryan Bethem

ENGINEERING
Palos Verdes Engineering

MANUFACTURERS
Graphisoft, Hansgrohe, California Faucets, Duravit, Emtek, Exquisite Surfaces, Marvin, Nemetschek, Victoria & Albert, Naknak

 DESIGN TEAM
Eric Reeder, John Flaherty, Xuhan (Ben) Shi

FABRICATION
Bryan Bethem, Rough Workshop

LANDSCAPE
Romana Di Suvero

INTERIOR DESIGN
Mary Valaika

PHOTOGRAPHS
Gregg Segal

LOCATION
Manhattan Beach, United States

YEAR
2019

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

Thrilled with the beach town location of their summer house in the Los Angeles area, but not with its loud ’90s-era architecture, a family of four approached Blue Truck Studio with a directive — tone it down.

30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal

What they had: a house with wild geometry, such as octagon-shaped rooms and triangular spaces. What they wanted: a home of simple forms and rustic textures, like the ones in the Northern California community of Sea Ranch.

On the exterior, Blue Truck Studio reconfigured windows and added siding, wrapping it around the house to simplify its form and provide privacy.

30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal

The custom milled siding is Alaskan yellow cedar and was chosen specifically for how it will weather over time, graying out to create a rustic patina reminiscent of the Sea Ranch aesthetic.

Blue Truck Studio created an all-new interior of calm, open spaces that flow easily into one another.

They removed a fireplace structure at the side of the living room that was blocking indoor movement.

30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal

Floor-to-ceiling windows open to the home’s two patios, creating a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors.

A pivot door and two large slider doors invite ample light inside. In an echo of the exterior of the home, cedar siding, painted white, wraps around the home’s stairwell.

30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal

Renovation of the 3,770-square-foot house in Manhattan Beach, California took 14 months. The family, which has roots in the Los Angeles area, wanted to create a home that would be as conducive to hosting friends and family as it was relaxation and quiet.

The four-bedroom home has both, with large gathering areas for entertaining, but also living quarters tucked away for privacy.

There are also many spaces and details geared towards recreation. A converted garage houses a play area and art studio.

30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal

Meanwhile, a driveway turned soccer pitch and a slatted outdoor shower for hosing off after a trip to the beach reflects the family’s love of the outdoors.


30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal


30th Street House
Elevations
30th Street House
Elevations and sections
30th Street House
© Gregg Segal


30th Street House
© Gregg Segal
30th Street House
First floor plan
30th Street House
Second floor plan
30th Street House
Details