Mavis Drive
Mount Washington, Los Angeles
A Mid-Century Modern A-Frame is uncovered, reimagined and transformed after 50 years of random and erratic layering and additions.
The 1965 A-frame structure, in the mid-century modern tradition, boasts a unique design with a dramatic structural expression, an airy open-plan living space, and expansive views of downtown LA.
The new owners wanted to restore this mid-century aesthetic with a clean, modern look that enhances the dramatic structural elements of the A-frame while doing away with the existing pub-like dark, wood-paneled broken up space of previous renovations.
Publications
-A Groovy 1965 A-Frame Compound with Killer L.A. Views, Dwell Magazine, April 2020
- Surreal Estate. L.A. Maga z i n e , M a y , 2 0 2
The 1,600 SF main residence underwent a complete renovation to meet sustainability goals including the addition of insulated ceiling panels. New energy-efficient skylights provide natural light and set off the A-frame’s beams and slanted columns, enhancing the original design intent. The large triangular facades connect through a loft bedroom with an open suspended staircase offering views of both the mountains and downtown LA.
The oversized lot, with sprawling additions built over time, once liberated from a myriad of cabinets, equipment, worktables and irregular wood framing results in a spacious creative office and workshop space. A stand alone building in the lower portion of the lot was redesigned for a future accessory dwelling unit with its own street access. Integrating the compound is a lush private garden with a terrace citrus grove and space for a pool.
