Working with the natural terrain and accentuating the surrounding environment are two of the hallmarks of Shubin and Donaldson Architects, who recently received the prestigious A’Design Award in Architecture in the building and structure design category for a project entitled ‘Pacific Palisades Residence.’ The A’Design Award, based in Milan, Italy is given only to the top three percent of designers and aims to highlight excellence in design, innovation and concept. A three-member panel uses a diverse range of design criteria in evaluating each entry. This was the first year that Shubin and Donaldson Architects, founded by Russell Shubin and Robin Donaldson in 1990, entered the competition. The firm’s design was inspired by the property’s natural contours and topography on the Castellammare Mesa. The 17,000-sq.-ft., single-family residence (comprising a 14,000-sq.-ft main house and 2,500-sq.-ft. accessory building) will occupy a two-acre lot at 17433 Tramonto Dr., and construction has already broken ground, said Shubin. Shubin, who has lived in Pacific Palisades for the past five years with his wife Erica and their two young children, said the home should be completed by June 2014. The future building sits on a challenging site with a very steep slope, overlooking parts of Topanga State Park. ’Straddling the hillside, the home angles and opens views to Santa Monica Bay, and it’s perched in such a way that you get a canyon view, too,’ said project architect Bradford Kelley. ‘The building flows with the contours of the landscape and actually fortifies an area with many geological issues.’ In August 2011, the designers met with a large group of Paseo Miramar and Castellammare residents at Steve’s Oak Room to discuss various aspects of the structure. ’No one [Homeowner’s Association] hosted it and everyone in the area was invited,’ said Kim Clary, president of the Castellammare HOA. ‘It was a good presentation by the architects, landscape artist, and other key members of a very large team.’ ’By the time we were done presenting the design concept, close to 90 percent of those present were in favor of it,’ Shubin said. The building design is characterized by the symbiotic confluence of two open terraces. One of the terraces emphasizes the outward expression of the home and the landscape, Shubin said, while the other is related to the inward relationship of the home’s discrete spaces. The core-building geometry is organized by three axes, one oriented toward an ocean view, the second guarded by the adjacent property and a third responding to the topography of the natural canyon. ’People are always talking about what’s a good and sustainable design,’ Shubin said. ‘Well, part of that is working with the topography.’ Divided into two principal masses, the two-story home will include a partial basement, main residence and a separate two-story building containing a gymnasium and spa that overlooks a play court nestled in a natural group of existing trees on the lower hillside, according to the design concept. ’The multi-purpose play court is meant to satisfy the needs of the clients,’ Kelley said. ‘They wanted a space for their children to ride their bikes. The play court is about half the size of a basketball court.’ ’As pieces of land become more scarce, the designs become more and more challenging,’ Shubin noted. Each portion of the structure is hidden into the hillside, the terraces will flow into the natural contours of the terrain and more than 70 percent of the existing lot will contain a grove of more than 200 drought-tolerant trees, representing a variety of Mediterranean species. Also, drip irrigation will be utilized to maximize limited water usage. The trees will complement native fauna, according to the design concept. Sustainable features in the design will include the use of natural lighting and passive ventilation and utilizing natural sea breezes that will be directed within the structure by large openings. Also, the home will utilize a variety of shading strategies, including large overhangs, exterior trellis and slatted screens. Using a combination of eco-driven design and technology, timer-triggered automatic shades will help cut solar gain during peak hours and keep temperatures low. Additionally, the planted upper courtyard will break up visibility of the upper roof and expand the aesthetic quality of the surrounding parkland. The home will also utilize a high-performance exterior glazing that will help limit heat transmission and glare. Plus, an interior reflecting evaporative pond will cool the entry area. Other sustainable features will include a swimming pool that uses an ultraviolet filter instead of chlorine and saline, and a low landscaping strategy that lowers power demands and reduces the impact of lighting on neighbors and wildlife, according to the design concept. The home will also incorporate resource-efficient lighting, appliances and plumbing fixtures. During construction, the owners want to have as little impact on nearby residents as possible, Clary said, adding that they are willing to address any questions or complaints from neighbors. ’The neighbors are fine with [the future home], they have just asked questions,’ Clary said. ‘In fact, most are glad that condos or townhouses are not going in there.’
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