分形立面住宅丨美国加利福尼亚丨Donaldson + Partners

American architecture studio Donaldson + Partners took cues from gemstones to design Fractal-Facade House in southern California, which features sculptural walls and a V-shaped floor plan.

The house sits atop a two-acre (0.8-hectare) site in the Trousdale neighbourhood of Beverly Hills. Perched on a hill, the residence looks toward downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.

Donaldson + Partners has completed the Fractal-Facade House in California

Donaldson + Partners, based in LA and Santa Barbara, designed the project for a client who works in the financial industry and splits their time between the US East and West coasts.

The client envisioned the house "as not only a home, but an incubator for big conversations and intimate salons".

The house sits on a two-acre site

Working closely with the client, studio founder Robin Donaldson began to draw inspiration from gemstones.

"What if the gemstone – with its precise mathematical beauty, its seemingly infinite, fractal possibilities contained within a finite object – could be the conceptual and visual driver for the design?" said Donaldson.

The house design is informed by gemstones

In turn, he and his team conceived a V-shaped home with folds in the exterior facade, giving the building a sculptural look.

"The gemstone motif appears as sharply faceted panels that introduce sculptural depth and angular precision," the team said.

The house is V-shaped

For the cladding, the client was initially interested in French stone, but decided to go for a more local option – glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) panels made in San Francisco. Pieces of natural shell were integrated into the orange-hued panels, resulting in a more natural, stone-like appearance.

Encompassing a total of 21,000 square feet (1951 square metres), the home has one level and a basement.

The house is wrapped in faceted panels

Local regulations prevented the house from rising higher than 14 feet (4.3 metres), in order to preserve views for neighbours. The lower height enables the home to feel more embedded in the landscape.

The dwelling is accessed via a long alleé, which was made possible by the owner acquiring an adjacent property. The home appears gradually as one approaches.

It is has one level and a basement

"The structure initially appears deceptively discreet, an articulated roof cantilevering over a carefully scaled form," the team said.

The primary entrance sits at a central point, which branches into two wings.

An open living room and kitchen is located on the upper floor

The upper level contains a mix of public and private spaces, which hug a courtyard and swimming pool in the rear.

The public zone features an expansive living room, dining area and kitchen, the latter of which can be closed off for parties.

The basement level is organised around a sunken courtyard and holds a 24-seat cinema, a bar, a spa and a gym.

The interior design was overseen by Nicole Hollis and Joan Behnke, who brought in rich textures, neutral colours and restrained furnishings.

The bottom level is organised around a sunken courtyard

"The client's art collection – which includes work by Helen Frankenthaler and Jenny Yuskavage – appears throughout, bringing playfulness and seriousness in equal measure," the team said.

The home also features fractal-informed sculptures, which were created in collaboration with the artistic practice Based Upon.

The house displays a private art and sculpture collection

Donaldson + Partners – formerly known as Shubin Donaldson – was founded in 1991. Architect Robin Donaldson has deep roots in California, as he studied architecture at  SCI-Arc and worked at Morphosis prior to starting his own practice.

Other projects by his studio include a home in Montecito, California, that is submerged in the landscape and features large, parabolic arches made of concrete.

The photography is by Fernando Guerra.