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5 LATTIMER SANCTUARY Los Angeles, CA The homeowners for this Rustic Canyon project are empty nesters who were looking for a house that suits their active lifestyle, offers 6,000 square- feet of living space, and captures the natural relaxing grace of the surrounding environment. We wanted to pay homage to the rich history of the canyon including the Ray Kappe project that existed just above this site. As Dean describes, "My background helped to prepare me for the detailed and historic accuracy I needed here. I was able to filter the design through the architectural lens of the likes of Ray Kappe, Marshal Lewis, and Thorton Abell. Latimer turned into the sculptural statement that we were looking for but still steers away from the clichés of simple geometrical uniformity of modern architecture." Latimer Sanctuary blurs the lines between what is organic and what is architectural and reveals a multi-layered complexity that appears equally effort- less and elegant. Natural materials inside the house consist of walnut cabinetry and aged-oak floors and ceilings, which deliver warmth to the rooms. The design balances the warmth with a series of poured-concrete walls that seem to float in the localized "lake" arranged to give the homeowners pri- vacy and separate public and personal spaces without jarring boundary walls. The lake element in the house joins the water outside to enter the house under the main stairs and further blurs the boundaries between inside and outside. The site included an existing sycamore tree and we used that to anchor not only the lap pool, but also the couple's primary bathroom and master suite, allowing them to swim their morning laps starting and ending through the large sliding wall of glass. Perpendicular to the lap pool is the great room with its corresponding covered loggia. The powder room offers a unique view of the pool and the eye-catching water curtain, a privacy screen of falling water that lets guests experience the home's architecture at an intimate scale. The house was placed toward the rear of the site, which meant we were able to create the upper bedrooms in such a way that allows them to exit onto their own terrace. Even guests in the home will feel the relief of having a private area to relax. Staying true to my other residential designs, Latimer Sanctuary captures and utilizes the unique climate, attitude, and lifestyle of Southern California that makes the home feel completely natural in its environment. Photographs by Roger Davies and Adrian Van Anz Designed by Dean Larkin Design, Los Angeles, CA, page 360

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