Floating Bungalow in Topanga by Bestor Architecture

Article source: Bestor Architecture

This house in Topanga Canyon rests on an incredible site with a view and rolling hills and meadows all around. With the site’s grade change we could separate the guest house and garage building from the main house by simply shifting the footprint downhill a bit, with the house more nestled in the hill. We created a promenade from the garage down a formal staircase and into the main view before taking a right towards the front door entry pavilion.

Living room, kitchen, stairway to 2nd floor, Image Courtesy © Bestor Architecture

• Architects: Bestor Architecture
• Project: Floating Bungalow
• Location: Topanga, USA.

Dining area , Image Courtesy © Bestor Architecture

The house is an open plan and very spacious. Keeping in mind the client’s desire for a sustainable house, we looked to Miracle Truss, which create steel trusses that can either be used as pre-fabricated elements OR can be customized to create the interior spans a client desires. Other materials are not suitable for creating such large open areas and supporting the infrastructure of a house. The structural steel for residences (even from a pre-fabricated manufacturer) must be engineered for the specific residential design, thus they are custom engineered just like standard steel supports.

Patio, Image Courtesy © Bestor Architecture

In addition to the specific engineering utilized in the design, we incorporated some of the latest sustainable design techniques to encourage the viability of the residence over the long term. Passive temperature control allows for heating and cooling throughout the year, large custom windows are coated with a low-emittance transparent metallic film and the white metal façade reflects light.

outside shot , Image Courtesy © Bestor Architecture

The house itself follows the Southern Californian tradition of a covered portico serving and surrounding all of the main living areas. This shaded porch structure provides an in-between area 12 feet deep from inside to outside that is perfect for lounging and enjoying a daytime outdoor lifestyle. The house has very high ceilings inspired by vernacular agrarian shed structures, and also sports solar panels, radiant heating and a full organic farm. The technology of the house is however quite sophisticated. It can almost run off the grid but has all of the latest in appliances and european energy efficient engineering.

Image Courtesy © Bestor Architecture

Image Courtesy © Bestor Architecture

Tags: Topanga, USA

Category: House

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