Burns Residence

Location: Venice, California, USA

House area: 2,900 square feet/269 square metres

Site area: 2,850 square feet/265 square metres

Description: Located on a south-facing, canal-front lot, this two-story house contains 2,900 square feet (269 square metres) of living area. As is typical of the neighborhood's rowhouse-like concept, the 30-foot-high (9-meter) structure is on a 30 by 95-foot (9 by 29-meter) lot, with 3-foot (1 meter) sideyards and a small 15-foot-deep (4.5 meter) garden on the canal side.

The primary objective was to create a feeling of openness, despite the cramped site, and to connect all the primary spaces with the gardens and canal without sacrificing privacy. The public areas of the house front strongly on the canals with expansive sliding glass walls. An intimate garden courtyard on the eastside acts as a lightwell and provides a private garden view to the media room and bedrooms placed towards the middle of the site.

The rear of the house accommodates the reading and music rooms. A roof garden captures the treeline and sunsets of the beachside community and offers respite from the cramped siting of the canals.