38 DIGS.NET
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3.22.2019
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P R O F I L E | P V A
Peter Vincent Architects' reconstitution of a worn
bungalow results in a chic urban farmhouse with a
Scandinavian Modern vibe
W R I T T E N B Y J E N N T H O R N T O N
V ENICE R EV I VA L
T
he road to Venice was not so straight for the young owners of this modern
urban farmhouse on Flower Avenue. Like many parents with children, they
envisioned for themselves a rural environment with lots of land for a similarly
styled home. What they got, however, were busy careers in Los Angeles and an
inadequate residence on the corner of a much smaller lot—but one with potential.
Maximizing its possibilities required careful calculation by Hawaii-based firm
Peter Vincent Architects. e design, according to PVA, "capitalizes on the property's
corner location by breaking the building's mass into separate structures that creates a
three-sided courtyard, which incorporates the adjacent street into the sense of space."
More broadly, the property expresses the current mood and largely pedestrian lifestyle
of its Los Angeles neighborhood. "Venice is experiencing somewhat of a rebirth,
particularly from people seeking a pedestrian-friendly environment and many, like
our clients, who work from home, can walk to nearby shops and restaurants," says
Peter Vincent, FAIA, NCARB—Managing Partner of Peter Vincent Architects. "In
terms of architecture, it seems that anything goes and many trendy new homes have
replaced older, nondescript tract housing."
ere is nothing freewheeling about the architecture of this property, however;
it is a showpiece of deliberation and understanding of the local lifestyle on the part
of PVA. e design, notes Vincent, "wasn't about being trendy or outlandish, but
PHOTOGRAPHS: BY ERHARD PFEIFFER, COURTESY OF PETER VINCENT ARCHITECTS
