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Project Details
Project Story
The Chinese describe it as yin and yang, the balance between contrasts that leads to harmony. This dramatic residence in Southern California fittingly illustrates the concept. At first glance, the house is the epitome of linear modern, but look again and you’ll notice how the architecture’s rigid lines and sharp angles juxtapose with playful curves and circular elements.
Architect Richard Landry, of Landry Design Group in Los Angeles, characterizes the 12,000-square-foot mansion as fitting the personality of homeowner Norm Zadeh, a successful businessman and magazine publisher, who enjoys life with gusto. “He wanted a contemporary home that would allow him to entertain plenty of guests while still retaining his privacy,” says Landry, who is no stranger to architecture on a grand scale. He’s designed homes for a celebrity clientele that includes Eddie Murphy, Rod Stewart, Kenny G, and Sugar Ray Leonard. Known for his versatility, Landry is as proficient at designing an English manor or Tuscan villa as he is at modern architecture.
Zadeh gave Landry ample creative license to come up with a unique design. As the house is sited in what is essentially a two-acre private park, Landry was able to use large expanses of glass to let in natural light without concern for the prying eyes of passers-by. The glass also blurs the boundaries between indoor and outdoor. Rooms look out on lawns, a pool and other water features, and guests can circulate freely from room to landscape.
Project manager Brian Pinkett explains how form and material were used to zone the house, thus differentiating entertaining areas from guest quarters from the private master suite. Glass intersperses with stone, stainless steel, zinc, and stucco. One of the home’s most dramatic elements is the bridge, featuring columns and circular punch-outs, that connects the second floor to the guest quarters.
Since there are separate kitchens located in the guest quarters, Zadeh considered his 18- by 25-foot kitchen with 12-foot ceilings to be a private, reflective space. “He never cooks,” says Pinkett, “and said the kitchen was up to us.”
Landry and Pinkett decided to give him a stylish, functional kitchen sure to please any client, and fitted this one with stainless-steel appliances, maple cabinets, and granite countertops, all designed around a classic work triangle. The kitchen flows to the light-filled, circular breakfast area. “The homeowner loves spending time in the kitchen,” says Landry. “In fact, he says he wishes he did cook!”
The result is a house that is modern without being too open, that welcomes guests while respecting the owner’s privacy. “It represents the serious side of life with its rigid lines and axes, but has its lighter side with fun elements such as round rooms and the bridge, and lots of light,” says Landry. “It’s a house that celebrates life.”
Public vs. Private
Balancing public and private on an open floor plan is a tall order for those of us who don’t live on a grand scale. But architect Richard Landry says it’s not about size but rather how you manipulate the space. Here are his tips:
CREATE SEMI-PRIVATE AREAS, such as “cozy dens where kids can watch TV,” between living areas and bedrooms.
FLEXIBILTY IS KEY. “With moving partitions, you can open up rooms when you need more space for entertaining, then close them when you need privacy.”
EXTEND TO THE OUTDOORS WHEN POSSIBLE, “through covered loggias or large doors that open to the outdoors to allow flow and create one bigger space.”
