Vault House

Vault House

14. January 2014

Vault House
2013

Oxnard, California

Architects
Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee
(Johnston Marklee)
Los Angeles

Collaborators
Katrin Terstegen
Andri Luescher
Nicholas Hofstede
Anna Neimark
Anton Schneider
Yoshi Nagamine
Ryan Roettker

Structural Engineer
William Koh & Associates

Contractor
RJP Construction

Photographs
Eric Staudenmaier

View of the living room

Vault House is situated in a densely developed beach site in Southern California. The design challenges the standard prime, single-view typology by layering an array of transparent interior spaces within the maximum allowable zoning envelope.

Main courtyard

With the assembly of stacked and unidirectional vaulted rooms contained within a simple rectilinear volume, the parallel orientation of the rooms within the house acts as a filter that extends the oceanfront view from the beachfront façade to the west through to the street at the eastern boundary of the site. With varied contours, volume and material finish, each vaulted room defines an area or function in the house.

Exterior view

The combined effect is a varied landscape of interior spaces unified with a singular formal language. Similar to the paradigm of a shotgun house (or bay house with enfilade rooms), the singular direction of the vaults maximizes the visual connection of all spaces within the deep building footprint, incorporating the exquisite exterior landscape of beach, ocean and horizon into the depth of the building.

Front elevation from the sea

While the programme gradient flows from the main living and master suite adjacent to the ocean to the west through to the inner courtyard, private study, guest and children’s rooms to the east, the expansive views of the ocean are visible from even the most private spaces. Changing views, lighting conditions and degrees of transparency act as a shutter throughout the day and according to occupancy in order to filter the surrounding landscape, light, and views toward the ocean beyond.

Ground floor

Vault House
2013

Oxnard, California

Architects
Sharon Johnston and Mark Lee
(Johnston Marklee)
Los Angeles

Collaborators
Katrin Terstegen
Andri Luescher
Nicholas Hofstede
Anna Neimark
Anton Schneider
Yoshi Nagamine
Ryan Roettker

Structural Engineer
William Koh & Associates

Contractor
RJP Construction

Photographs
Eric Staudenmaier

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