Paseo Del Mar | Palos Verdes
Italian Farmhouse
Paseo Del Mar, Palos Verdes, California
As charming and cozy as this house is, the true genius in this design is how the home was sited. Located in Palos Verdes Estates above Bluff Cove, the lot is very narrow, small and long, and the Client's program called for a subterranean garage given that there is no view from the daylighted basement. The two upper levels have some of the most prominent views of Palos Verdes Peninsula. The house was sited, not to the street or the front yard setback, but rather for the length of the driveway to be able to reach an underground garage. In the process of siting the house for garage access, two other more key design solutions were achieved, solar and view orientation. The Client was very leary about a design solution that does not 'address' the street / curb appeal, but rather the view. The fact that the street frontage is curved and uphill from the house creates an effect of a house sitting on rural land rather than an urban lot. The idea that the house is not addressing the front yard setback also creates an opportunity for a 'saw tooth' front massing which gives the home character and as if it was set on open land, relating to the contours more than a front yard setback. I get a call yearly saying "we love our house, still pinching ourselves at how wonderful it is..."