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Oak Pass Residence

Addition

Beverly Hills, United States

erhard Heusch, founder of Heusch Inc. has unveiled a 1,500
sq. ft underground office addition to his innovative Oak
GPass residence in Beverly Hills, California. The office space
continues to advance the innovative design solutions employed by
the architect in building his 3,500 sq. ft. home, completed in 2006
on an empty parcel of abundantly natural land overlooking Benedict
Canyon.

The additional office space succeeds in integrating into its
surroundings without disrupting the architectural balance between
the fully-built house and the natural beauty of the land, following in
step with Heusch’s overall vision for the property.

Supporting the design
Heusch’s architectural concept began to unfold in 2000 when he
purchased an acre of breathtaking land that he was determined to
blend his design into. With a landscaped hillside to the east and
panoramic views of Benedict Canyon to the west, he embarked on a
project to balance his new residence with nature.

The plan he put forward was to build 10 steel columns to support
an elevated house, which he successfully argued would mitigate any
landslide threats to the built environment. The innovative solution
allowed him to forgo the 15-foot setback by building a much smaller,
less obtrusive retaining wall into a natural cut in the property. The
design plan provided a platform that would enable him to build his
spacious, modernist home into the treeline of the embracing hillside.

“A setback essentially disrupts the idea of harmonising the
environment,” explains Heusch. “I didn’t want to build a house that
would essentially stand alone as a partition between the hillside and
the canyon.”

A minimalist treehouse
With 10-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, Heusch’s open
floorplan ensures that every room of the seamlessly flowing living
space has a spectacular view. To further ensure unobstructed flow,
Heusch embedded much of the house’s infrastructure, including
roof drainage, plumbing, and electricity, into the support columns.
As a result, upon entering the front door, unobstructed views carry
through to a glass wall at the rear of the house, revealing a beautiful
oak tree backdrop that emphasizes the seamless connection between
the natural surroundings and his built environment.

The interior of the single-level layout is framed by natural stucco walls
and Brazilian walnut floors, with custom-designed furniture, cabinets,
fittings, and profiles that further embody Heusch’s minimalist vision.
There are three bedrooms, including two guest bedrooms that can
be linked together courtesy of a sliding wall. Spanish marble anoints
the guest bathrooms, while the master bathroom is accented by
Portuguese limestone, including a soaking tub that was hand-carved
from a single block.

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