7100 N Figueroa ST Los Angeles, CA 90042

A case study in urban ecological architecture, this house embodies years of research into vernacular building for Los Angeles -- design informed by the sun, wind and light of a site, utilizing building materials that are non-toxic, local, and durable. The main level holds the living room and kitchen, with a terracotta patio as a seamless extension, and a powder room. Upstairs is the primary bathroom and one bedroom, whose plan allows flexibility to be divided into two as life changes. 861 residential square feet in total. Downstairs is the 310 sq.ft. workspace and laundry area with glass block skylights to allow natural, diffuse daylight year round; and a tandem garage. 670 square feet in total. Natural and innovative building materials are featured throughout. The exterior of the house is clad in 2" thick cork panels, which functions as continuous insulation to help moderate temperature and sound. Terrazzo countertops are made with aggregates from the Los Angeles River, representing an urban geology -- every color of rock and glass; bits of mollusk shells, metal, brick, and other sands of the City. Flooring, doors, frames and vanities are made with fallen local trees, California Sycamore and Ash, rather than lumber removed from far-away forests. There are no petrochemical painted walls inside or out -- light and shadow play on the trowel marks of the clay plaster interior, with lime plaster at street level and a traditional tadelakt finish in the primary bath. Truly more than what can be said in a real estate listing. Built with love by Responsive Homes and its collaborators, in the shade of a cork oak tree.