Malibu Ridge: Our First Project in Los Angeles

We are delighted to share that Malibu Ridge, our first residential project in Los Angeles, has received planning permission and is now moving into the next phase.

The project is a new family home in Malibu for a couple with three children, replacing a house lost in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Working with clients who bring such depth of knowledge from their own professional backgrounds has made this a genuinely rewarding collaboration, and one that has pushed the design in all the right directions.

The site is elevated and sloping, looking out over the Pacific - a location of remarkable beauty but one also marked by the memory of the fire. Navigating the regulatory landscape that comes with building in this part of California could easily have been a constraint on the design. Instead we used it to sharpen our focus, and the project is better for it.

The house follows an L-shaped plan, separating living and sleeping quarters into two distinct wings and organising the layout around two key voids: an entrance court that establishes a sense of arrival, and an internal courtyard at the junction of the wings that pulls light into the plan and acts as the heart of the house.

Living on this part of the California coast means balancing extraordinary views with an often exposed, wind-swept environment. The primary living spaces are oriented inward toward the courtyard, creating a sheltered sanctuary, while the more solid service zones are pushed to the perimeter to keep the internal elevations largely glazed. The result is a home that feels connected to the horizon while remaining genuinely protected from it.

The house is anchored to the hillside at its base, with the main floorplate extending out toward the ocean. A cantilevered infinity pool marks the boundary of the built work, beyond which the landscape is left rugged and untouched.

The mid-century houses of Los Angeles were a natural point of reference, particularly in how they negotiate the relationship between structure and topography. Deep overhangs, terraces that step with the contours of the site, and spaces designed to feel entirely in tune with the climate and the light. Malibu Ridge continues that conversation in its own way.

We look forward to the build ahead and will share more as the project progresses.

Read about the project:

Malibu Ridge