Design

21ST CENTURY MODERNISM

KAA Design continues Los Angeles’ rich tradition of residential modernism, an architectural style embedded in the city’s DNA. / by roger grody /

THOUGH UNENLIGHTENED commentators might view Los Angeles as a city overwhelmed by nondescript housing tracts, the city has in fact inspired monumental achievements in residential design, notably its brilliant expressions of modernism. The architecture pioneered by Richard Neutra, Rudolph Schindler and John Lautner continues to evolve in L.A., and KAA Design is among the contemporary firms contributing to the movement’s momentum.

Hollywood Hills home inspired by midcentury masterpiece

Founded in 1988 by architect Grant Kirkpatrick, KAA Design has attracted a clientele of A-list Hollywood celebrities, high-profile financiers and billionaire philanthropists.

Much of the firm’s philosophy is documented in the founder’s 2018 book, California Contemporary: The Houses of Grant C. Kirkpatrick and KAA Design. “We really don’t have a consistent signature look, and we’re proud of that,” says KAA Design partner Duan Tran, explaining that all commissions reflect the respective personalities of their clients.

Tran summarizing the firm’s approach: “We specialize in lifestyledriven design that incorporates warm, organic materials within contemporary design sensibilities.”

He emphasizes that the firm’s luxury residences are connected to the environment through materials that provide warmth and softness. The KAA partner believes that when modern residential architecture ignores natural conditions, the results can be austere boxes with plentiful attitude but minimal soul.

By fully embracing natural elements, KAA’s work echoes the optimism expressed by the midcentury modern masters when they discovered Southern California’s climate and views. “Our work conveys that same sense of optimism, a feeling that anything’s possible,” says Tran, pointing out that by pushing the envelope, both structurally and aesthetically, clients can live on the edge—sometimes literally.

Perhaps no project better connects KAA’s work to the legacy of California modernism than a Hollywood Hills residence completed a decade ago.

Spectacular city views are showcased in a cantilevered, glassensconced living and dining pavilion, a direct nod to Pierre Koenig’s

Clockwise from above left: Two views of a cantilevered dining room in Hollywood Hills, the first evoking an iconic photo by Julius Shulman.

In Manhattan Beach, a California modernist facade and a bath showcasing sleek aesthetics and indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

Case Study House #22 (aka Stahl House), the quintessential midcentury-modern masterpiece memorialized by photographer Julius Shulman.

Its material palette is restrained, with little more than white plaster, steel, wood and generous expanses of glass necessary to pull off a look that is minimalist but not austere, at once modern and classic.

A residence in the Hill Section of Manhattan Beach reflects KAA's sleek contemporary style. Its exterior concrete and glass are warmed by rough-hewn limestone and horizontal stained-cedar siding.

The home's dramatic entry hall has a graceful curvilinear steel-andwood staircase and a broad skylight; a ficus tree serves as much as sculpture as living flora. “This project is a great example of weaving indoor and outdoor spaces so that the house isn’t simply defined by its exterior walls,” Tran says.

Its interior walls are clad in Anamosa limestone; two wings of the second level are connected by a glass-floored bridge that contributes to the drama of the design. Floor-toceiling glass panels retract to create seamless transitions from indoors to out, maximizing ocean views from the triple-lot site.

Water features include a court-

Koi-pond -surrounded lanai in Manhattan Beach

yard koi pond and infinity-edge pool; lush tropical landscaping provides the illusion of an even larger parcel while ensuring privacy from neighboring properties.

To accommodate demand for more traditional residential architecture, KAA Design Group has established Evens Architects. Led by partner Erik Evens, this division celebrates the Mediterranean architecture of Spain, Italy and France, and even Morocco, all of which have earned their place in L.A.’s diverse architectural fabric.

KAA Design 310.821.1400; kaadesigngroup.com