The Segel Residence by Kovac Design Studio and Waldo’s

Initially inspired by the desire for an indoor lap pool, The Segel Residence is refined to suit its current custodian. Kovac Design Studio and Waldo’s elevate an original John Lautner home into a more open and contemporary series of spaces that celebrate natural connections.

With a passion for swimming, the new owner of The Segel Residence overlayed their imprint into the home. Originally designed and built in the 1980s by John Lautner, the latest re-working orients around celebrating a clear connection to the natural elements while also integrating lap pool into the site. Kovac Design Studio and Waldo’s ensure the new works weave themselves amid the established legacy of the original design, adding respectfully to an important history.

Originally designed and built in the 1980s by John Lautner, the latest re-working orients around celebrating a clear connection to the natural elements while also integrating lap pool into the site.

The process of altering the home started with engaging the team to assist with the design of a 25-metere undercover pool. “The existing outdoor pool was more of a beautiful water feature than a place to do laps,” describes Michael Kovac, founding principal of Kovac Design Group. In adding the needed form to house the pool, the sloping lines of the roof structure follow the original and appear like a natural evolution of the home. Reinvigorating the existing 1990s addition, the approach is driven by Mid-Century principles of openness and sightlines that connect outward.

Echoing the timber-clad ceiling of the adjacent living room, the pool enclosure feels as though it has always been a part of the home. It is only through the integration of innovative features and detailing that a new and contemporary refinement can be seen. The warmth already established internally is also brought forward, with a textural and raw focus in the material selections. The open expanse of glazing also helps the surrounding landscape encase the interior and soften the edges of the home. Able to be opened to encourage a flow of movement between inside and out, the facade pulls back in multiple locations.

Kovac Design Studio and Waldo’s ensure the new works weave themselves amid the established legacy of the original design, adding respectfully to an important history.

As a house grounded to both its site and past, The Segel Residence is expanded and developed to become an attuned place of living for its current owner. Expressing the coastal context, Kovac Design Studio and Waldo’s implement insertions and other gestures that further amplify the home as its own refuge of calm.

Architecture by Kovac Design Studio. Interior design by Waldo’s. Styling by Anita Sarsidi. Landscape by Diamond Landscaping.