CONVERSE HOUSE

LOS ANGELES, CA
The site for this house is in the Los Angeles foothills, northeast of downtown. The terrain is steep, and the landscape is parched. As is typical in the southwestern portion of the United States, the night/day temperature differential is extreme. In order to ameliorate the climactic extremes of temperature, the roof mass of the structure is maximized. Precast concrete “double tees” are used to create the basic shelter. On the uphill side of the site, the tees are supported by concrete walls. On the downhill, “view” side of the site, they are supported by an open steel trellis. The diagonal configuration of the trellis resists lateral earthquake loading. Additional concrete walls, parallel to the “tees”, provide longitudinal stability as well as vertical surfaces on which vines can grow, connecting the green earth with a green roof.