RECORD

A moody palette and exaggerated use of materials create drama in the self-designed clifftop home of two LOS ANGELES architects. Innovative artworks INSPIRED BY MUSIC complete the look.

“NO HOMES. JUST TREES, LANDSCAPE AND WILDLIFE WITH HUNDREDS OF BIRD SPECIES, including hummingbirds and hawks that guard over the ridge” is how architect Chris McCullough describes the view from the “back yard” of the home he shares with partner and architect Peggy Hsu.

When asked what the primary inspiration for their striking new build was, the Los Angeles couple are quick to answer: the plot of land itself. “Our property frames an uninterrupted view of Fossil Ridge Park, a protected parkland that can never be developed.” Perched hillside above Sherman Oaks on the northern side of the Santa Monica Mountains, the palaeontological park is bordered by a community that dates back to the 1960s. “Many of the homes along the ridge were developed in the early ’60s, when the 405 freeway was first built,” explain the principal architects of Hsu McCullough. “They’re mostly Mid-century Modern, ranch-style, single-storey homes.”

It was in an equally dated house on their newly purchased plot that the couple took the time to fine-tune the design of what was to become their future home. “We lived in the former house on the property for more than two years, mapping the natural light and wind movement throughout the year and tweaking our design,” explains Peggy.