whipple russell architects

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Design for Musician Livan

We’re excited to share about our Lancer Court project currently beginning construction in Beverly Hills. The client is Kosmas Livanos, better known as the musician Livan - also the name of his post punk alternative rock band. Livan's singles, "Happy Returns" and "Undead" have earned top ratings on American radio charts, and now a new album Beggars & Believers has just been released. It has been said a Livan concert provides hard-edged rock and spooky goth appeal, informed by Livanos’s global perspective and his political thoughtfulness. He was born in Greece, and grew up there and in the UK. An all-out performer onstage, he naturally needs a tranquil, well-designed space to come home to.

Real estate broker and project manager, Parsua Moradmand of PMO Group / H-PRO, had been searching on Livan’s behalf for a suitable property in Beverly Hills, and at the same time was looking for an architect to design the new home. The Lancer Court property was unusual in that it was a gated cul-de-sac and included a tennis court, which provided more flat usable land than most properties in the area.

It is always good when the sensibilities of architect and client mesh early on. Livan and Marc, having both lived in Europe and England, were soon discussing football - and then, naturally, everything else fell into place. The existing house will be gutted, and a home of glass and light opening onto a pool will fill its space by summer 2014.