On one of the last undeveloped oceanfront lots along the iconic Pacific Strategically placed openings on all sides of the façade, harness the prominent Coast Highway in Malibu, House Noir not only breaks the conventional beach ocean and hillside views, and provide maximal natural light to all interior spaces. house mold, but it creatively addressees the complexity of building next to the Standing seam painted aluminum siding folds up from the street façade, over the water, especially in the face of climate change—the fundamental design challenge roofline to the roof deck, creating a seamless transition between wall and roof.
Project Name: House Noir
Architect Name: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects
Project Team: Lorcan O’Herlihy Architects [LOHA] (Architect), John Labib Associates (Structural)
Photography: Paul Vu
Of our time. The goal of the project is to design for longevity and to address how, the slightly trapezoidal shape of the site provides a rare opportunity for views down through an adept approach to materiality and form, the house can be sustainable coast from the interior of the house. Angled balconies at the first and second levels throughout multiple decades. are accessed by floor to ceiling sliding doors, amplifying the indoor-outdoor living experience. of the challenges of building next to the ocean is the issue of coastal erosion and rising sea levels which demands complex design solutions.
By raising the house 20 Additional operable windows at all facades, in combination with large open stairwell feet above the shoreline, building a sea wall, and a deep caisson foundation, the site connecting all levels, permits cross ventilation throughout the house. This passive was secured and is capable of absorbing the energy of the sea in the event of natural ventilation strategies take full advantage of the location’s ideal climate. disaster.
The same approach carries over into the interior of the project, where a central open Other than addressing issues of climate and ecology, new parameters for building next staircase with perforated metal treads and risers allow natural light to filter down to the ocean informed the design approach. LOHA’s design is, therefore, a byproduct of from roof deck level through the core of the house, unifying each level with glass or new code requirements, and embraces the challenging edges by creatively working stainless steel cable mesh railings to maintain openness. An open floor plan at within these limitations. The project maximizes the site potential, building to the exact first level is accented by the floating stair building envelope allowable, while creatively conforming to local building envelope restrictions.
Indoor-outdoor living areas are the focal point of the project and helped to define the sustainability strategies during design. Floor to ceiling sliding doors along the ocean
The corrosive sea air, which can deteriorate metals and slowly peel away paint, was at both residential levels allow natural ventilation, while overhangs above protect addressed by wrapping the building in aluminum, a non-corrosive metal, which is direct sunlight from entering the indoor living spaces coated in a resilient rustproof paint.
