Architecture Wednesday: The Cresta

The Cresta is one of those houses that stands out in the neighborhood, and one of those houses that is not for the faint of heart, or the shy.

It is a 5,300 square foot single-family residence designed and constructed entirely out of cast in place concrete on a 5,000 sq ft lot in the Lower Hermosa region of La Jolla, California, one of the most exclusive zip codes in the country.

The house’s three stories, one below and two above grade, are accented by floor to ceiling glass and large open expanses to the outdoors.

Due to the extraordinarily small property in an area with typical properties three to four times the size every square foot was important. The exterior room was a key element in creating a home that otherwise would have felt much smaller than it is, and more private that it seems.

While this space creates a void, the building's overall form is kept intact. All four corners remain with walls and roof planes to define the original box of the residence.

Adjacent to the front of the structure a reflecting and swimming pool has been integrated into the overall design of the project for thermal cooling and to create the perception that the house is floating. 

With the large expanses of glass, every bit inside the house is opne to the outside, and it takes on the appearance of a glass jewel box at night.

It's not the house for everyone. but it is quite the house.

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