- Project: Hillside
- Architect: SAOTA
- Location: United States, Los Angeles, California
- Year: 2019
- Area: 1486 m2
- Photography: Adam Letch
Perched directly above Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, Hillside by SAOTA is a striking contemporary residence that reimagines the ideals of modernist architecture for a 21st-century lifestyle. The home is located on a 20,000-square-foot estate, just one promontory away from Pierre Koenig’s iconic Stahl House (Case Study House #22)—an architectural lineage that directly influenced the design concept.
A Dialogue with the Stahl House
Designed by SAOTA, the acclaimed Cape Town–based architecture studio, the Hillside residence pays homage to LA’s mid-century modern legacy while forging its own bold identity. Floating roof planes and projecting eaves reference the silhouette of the nearby Stahl House, extending forward to create shaded, open-air living areas and reinforcing the home’s connection to the dramatic cityscape below.
This approach transforms the home into a self-contained oasis, emphasizing horizontal lines, expansive glazing, and a fifth façade—its soffits and rooflines—visible from the surrounding hillsides.
“Rather than massing and walls, we curated the experience through floor and roof plates that frame views and light,” SAOTA notes.
Architecture Defined by Views and Volumes
With 300-degree panoramic views over the LA basin, the house’s layout is sculpted to maximize sightlines. Solid walls are minimized in favor of glass façades that open to the surrounding skyline. The result is an architecture defined not by enclosure but by perception, transparency, and flow.
A dramatic central atrium serves as the home’s ceremonial entry—guests arrive via a steep drive and ascend from a 12-car underground garage past an indoor waterfall and courtyard, culminating in a framed vista of downtown Los Angeles.
The floor plan orients around two wings:
-
One aligned east-west
-
The other north-south
These volumes interlock around a central open-plan living area, articulated through volumetric shifts and material transitions rather than walls.
Interior and Exterior Harmony
Timber, steel, and limestone define the material palette, echoing the tones of California’s landscape and referencing mid-century construction techniques. Steel columns express structural clarity, while limestone walls and floors extend from the interior out onto the terraces, reinforcing the continuity between inside and outside.
SAOTA’s South African design ethos, honed in the Mediterranean-like climate of Cape Town, seamlessly integrates outdoor living into the architectural program. Each interior space connects to a covered terrace, leading out to a sculptural infinity pool that visually merges with the horizon.
Landscaping and Privacy
The estate is surrounded by lush, layered landscaping, including climbing ficus trees that serve as natural privacy screens while softening the geometric precision of the architecture. The curvilinear design of the pool mirrors the city’s hills and offers a meditative contrast to the sharp architectural lines.
Honoring the Case Study Legacy
Like the Case Study Houses built between 1945 and 1966, Hillside reflects a progressive vision of modern living, rooted in openness, climate responsiveness, and minimalist aesthetics. Its generous outdoor program, sculpted terraces, and panoramic views reconnect Los Angeles residential architecture with its modernist past—while evolving it for today’s context of privacy, sustainability, and luxury.
Plans & Drawings
