Venice Residence

Windward Circle is a neighborhood in Venice that was famously developed as a community of beach bungalows by Abbott Kinney at the turn of the 20th century. Most properties are funky, small and narrow. Projects are therefore designed to be compact and vertical. This project started as a small apartment over a garage, on one end of a through-lot between two streets. It was developed into two stand-alone houses, each fronting an opposite street.

The original 625 square foot structure was extensively remodeled and expanded into a comfortable 812 square foot two-bedroom two story house with a small backyard, a two-car garage and even a mountain view.

The remainder of the site was developed into a three story, three-bedroom, 1,700 square foot residence and office, also with a two car garage. The living level is on the third story, and with it’s two outdoor decks affords sweeping views and light, while allowing for privacy and quiet. Exterior materials and design echo the largely craftsman nature of the surrounding residences, but in a contemporary manner. This residence uses less energy than the original 625 square foot residence on the property. Both residences live much larger than their compact sizes. Exterior materials consist of painted mitered cement lap siding, stucco, wood decks, metal trim, exposed steel frame, and aluminum windows. Interior materials consist of hardwood, terrazzo, and polished concrete floors, oak cabinetry, ceramic tiled bathrooms, pine and painted cement lap siding, metal railings, and painted drywall.

Venice, California