Caverhill Residence | SPF:architects

Caverhill Residence

Typology Residential
Location Los Angeles, California
Completed 2009
Size 4,500 SF

Occupying a narrow wedge and perched along the side of a ridge overlooking the Beverly Hills canyons, the planning for the Caverhill Residence was dictated by the challenges presented by the difficult hillside lot.


Additional Credits: Matthew Momberger (photography), John Linden (photography)

Our design maximized the use of the constrained space by spanning across its long frontage and descending deep into the hillside, carving out a three-story, 4,500-square-foot home from a parcel previously occupied by a structure approximately one-third the size. The resulting plan was a modified wedge, with one end of the house almost twice as wide as the other and the front façade masquerading as a single story.

The main entrance is on the second of three levels, where the living room flows openly into the kitchen and dining area. These communal spaces and the bedrooms on the upper level are punctuated on each end by over 1,000 square feet of generous covered terraces and balconies. Each cove is protected from the sun and wind but still open to views. The upper level can be accessed either through the interior stair, or through exterior staircases located on either end of the house, incorporating the terraces into the main circulation flow of the home. The lower level of the house, set on the slope below street level, contains two guest rooms, a lawn and a patio with a long fire pit running toward an infinity pool.

caverhill residence, 5200 briarcrest, don caverhill home, modern home, los angeles architecture, los angeles architects, los angeles architecture firms, modern residential architecture firms

From the street, the exterior is dominated by a series of angled fins, simultaneously providing privacy while playfully welcoming and diffusing narrow strips of light onto the home’s interior surfaces.

Publications