A Harmonious Affair – Walk-Street House by ras-a studio

Walk-Street House offers a seamless continuation of the Southern Californian beach lifestyle where the home resides. From the raw timber façade to its open plan living, there is a lack of separation between the house, the street, the climate and the locale, which gives the home its distinct nature.

ras-a studio homes in on a quintessential city-beach aesthetic that speaks to its South Los Angeles location. The residence has a strong attachment to place – a vibrant street with pedestrian-only access, which immediately ignites a desire to connect to the surrounding social, family-oriented community. However, the prime location means the home is compact, posing a significant challenge for the construction. Overcoming this revealed a deeply considered open floor plan that nurtures the feeling of space at every opportunity.

The residence has a strong attachment to place – a vibrant street with pedestrian-only access, which immediately ignites a desire to connect to the surrounding social, family-oriented community.

Eliminating interior partitions within the kitchen, dining and lounge areas allows for the spaces to borrow room from each other. Upstairs are the bedrooms, a study and a balcony that overlooks the street below, as well as a rooftop terrace that boasts panoramic ocean views. Spaces also serve a double purpose, with there being a mechanical lift in the garage to lift cars and free floor space, a hallway that doubles as a library and the front porch serving as an outdoor space.

The floor plan also nurtures a tangible connection to the outdoors. An eight-metre glass-panel wall runs the length of the dining and living areas and extends the interior out towards the patio and a bamboo garden so, when open, the interior seamlessly blends with the outside. Skylights also welcome an abundance of natural light into the home, which adds energy to the interiors, and the few walls that do exist all open to the outdoors. The openness of the home allows the ocean breeze to enter and cool the spaces within, with various operable doors and windows enabling a passive cooling system.

The ocean breeze that flows into the interior is echoed in materiality and styling, which has a distinct lightness to it – reminiscent of a beach house – dominated by light tones and timber.

Natural materials works alongside natural light and garden views to endow the home with a certain richness and warmth. The ocean breeze that flows into the interior is echoed in materiality and styling, which has a distinct lightness to it – reminiscent of a beach house – dominated by light tones and timber. Clad with western red cedar, the interior is refined in various profiles to create contrast and texture, whilst the exterior is left untreated so it changes over time. Naturally blending in with the side patio, the indoor flooring is polished concrete, whilst the casework is made of white oak to match the second-level floor and stairs.

ras-a studio creates a warm family home that blurs the lines between the inside and the outside. A considered approach to materiality, layout and the way light plays on the surfaces throughout the home adds a dynamic energy to Walk-Street House that echoes the vibrant spirit often intertwined with Los Angeles beachside living.