mandeville canyon
project name
mandeville canyon
location
brentwood, ca
completion date
march 2000
project team
architect: marc whipple aia
media coverage
This horse ranch in Brentwood, California is a livable, romantic blend of contemporary and Mediterranean architectural sensibilities. The house was originally created for two artists, husband and wife; one an architect turned director, the other a writer and sommelier. Both very passionate about every detail that had gone into the creation of all of their living spaces; a restoration in Italy and a loft in New York City. He wanted contemporary, she longed for romantic. As Marc explains, the style derives from the all-important floor plan. This is where decisions regarding use, light, and the day-to-day performance of the spaces are made. This plan called for open, cleanly outlined spaces that flowed one into another.
Thick, clay colored walls with many deep portals create sculptures of light in constant variation. As in many of Marc’s designs, the pool meets the edge of the house at a large expanse of glass, producing a dazzling effect indoors and out. Famed LA photographer Julius Shulman called the house “cellular architecture”, as each room, though changing in height and size, transmits its own light in harmony with the whole. The clients called this their Xanadu Ranch and honored us with one of our favorite quotes, “Every time we come home we feel like we’re on vacation”.
