40 DIGS.NET
| 11.13.2020
P R O F I L E | K A A D E S I G N G R O U P
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PHOTOGRAPHS:
COURTESY
OF
MANOLO
LANGIS
M
arked by architectural rigor and clarity,
Balance Hill telegraphs the Case Study
Houses of the mid-century period but
is dynamically of our own. Designed by architect
Grant Kirkpatrick of Los Angeles-based KAA
Design Group, working with interior designer
Antonia Hutt and construction by Rick Holz Inc., the
home strikes a Modernist posture with its minimal
material palette (glass, white plaster, wood, and
steel), clean lines and geometries.
The structure's architecture "expresses
anchoring, bridging and progressive transparency
as it emerges from the hill and reaches out to claim
stunning scenery," notes KAA Design Group.
Designed to amplify its outlook, the home presents
a procession of fluid transitions and gracious
interior spaces that include a double-sided living
area, dramatically cantilevered living and dining
pavilion that juts out over the hill like an architectural
isthmus, and an entry anchored by a sculptural
staircase whose spiral evokes Frank Lloyd Wright's
famed sinuous form at the Guggenheim in New
(CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) THE GLASSY BALANCE HILL
OVERLOOKS THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES; THE MODERN WINE TASTING
ROOM; NEUTRAL TONES IN THE INTERIOR OFFER A SENSE OF
EXPANSION; THE ARCHITECTURAL STAIRCASE IS A FOCAL POINT.
York. The lower level is a playground
for all ages with a family area and a
screening room with a small stage for
family performances. Other amenities:
a wonder of a wine tasting room and a
bona fide bowling alley. The view inside
the house speaks to fine contemporary
tastes featuring meticulous fittings from
the likes of Holly Hunt, Christian Liaigre,
and Donghia, mid-century modern
stalwarts (an Eames lounge chair in the
master bedroom), striking art work and
custom pieces. The exterior, meanwhile,
is its own arcadia, tidy and grassy, with
a pool deck for soaking in both sun and
scene. kaadesigngroup.com
Poised on a hillside, with a vast view
of Los Angeles, Balance Hill by KA A
Design Group makes the case for
radical transparency.
City Lights Chic