Boxenbaum

Situated on a sloping corner lot across from an elementary school, the Boxenbaum House orients itself away from two perimeter streets towards rear and side outdoor spaces and gardens for privacy and serenity.

The home's principle function, other than the primary residence of a couple with grown children, is to create a gallery for the work of noted artist Kharlene Boxenbaum. To do this, the design maximizes large wall expanses bathed in ambient light - an ideal environment for showcasing art.

The composition of the Boxenbaum house is a dance of cubic volumes, vertical stucco masses and floating roof planes that reinforce the direct and open nature of the floorplan. The largest volumes are wood construction and clad in stucco, while the metal planes are thin slices constructed of bonderized steel fascias that cantilever past the window line and protect the glass from direct sun and rain.

Interior materials consist of stone and wood floors. Elements of the vertical stucco masses also enter into the house and form sculptural backdrops for the fireplaces.