DIGS is the premiere luxury real estate lifestyle magazine serving the most affluent neighborhoods in the South Bay and Westside of Los Angeles, California.
Issue link: https://www.southbaydiggs.com/i/98349
ARCHITECT | DESIGN | BUILD 2012 Drawing from Frank Lloyd Wright's prairie style influences and 19th-20th century style, David Watson designed and built residential home 32nd Street in Manhattan Beach. "The clients are originally from the Midwest, interested in turn of the century style. The stone-brick, Midwestern feel in the middle of a beach city makes [the home] unique," he explains. A modern floor plan and living area with windows give the house a spacious feel. "We integrated the prairie style element in a confined beach cities space. The 2nd floor's long, horizontal style also plays into this," says Watson. Every detail down to the light fixtures, dining table and chandelier were meticulously constructed to be as inimitable as the structure itself. Dean Nota explains his approach to modern design+build as "creating a sense of spaciousness when you do not have the space." He did just this to construct the Yu Residence on the Hermosa Beach Strand. Made of wood, stone, and glass for the windows and balconies, the layout is more spacious than a typical Strand home. "The area's tight space made the project come down to inches," Nota says. The interior includes a master suite and second master bedroom. Nota's play on light and materials distinguishes the house from its neighbors. While the beautiful ocean view glistens through the windows, the house is also private enough to live comfortably. "There is a juxtaposition between opening up the house to showcase the dramatic view, but also creating enough privacy for living, " he says. WATSON D AV I D WA T S O N What is your favorite architectural icon in the world? Dean Nota: Louis Kahn's Salk Institute for Biological Studies aspires within its own spirit to an order achieved through clarity, definition and consistency of application. What architectural figure, living or historical, has made the biggest impact on your career? Dean Nota: I graduated from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, where, after an internship with SCIArc's founding director, Raymond Kappe, FAIA, I returned as faculty. Working ten years in the Kappe Studio nurtured my love for unique possibilities of residential architecture in the California context that has come to define my work. If you could design your dream home, what style would it be and where would you build it? Dean Nota: The South Bay is part of Metropolitan Los Angeles, one of the world's foremost contemporary architectural laboratories. So, It would be in a coastal community, in Metro LA, with a view of the ocean, not unlike Hermosa Beach. NOTA 56 SOUTHBAYDIGS.COM | 12.14.2012 D E A N N O TA D E A N N O TA