This home, designed for the family of a longtime friend and collaborator, is currently under construction. The intimate living spaces and engagement with outdoor courtyards are influenced by a local context of mid-century architecture. The cast concrete ground floor anchors the building to the top of the two-acre lot in the Hollywood hills. The perforated aluminum rainscreen facade will act as a homogenizer for the upper, cantilevered volume. The perforated panels extend beyond selected windows to provide shade and privacy.
Designed and construction commenced while a project designer at envelopeA+D
status: under construction
design team: douglas burnham (principal), grayson holden (project manager/designer), lauren jordan (project designer)
contractor: schuchart dow
rainscreen facade: zahner
landscape: matthew brown landscape design
For this project the elements of a single family home are divided and scattered throughout a dense madrone grove. The trees, as much a design element as the cabins themselves, provide privacy between rooms. The form, size and location of each cabin is the result of a dialogue between programmatic needs and the topography and density of the grove. In order to minimize impact on the forest, original sketches were modified by the site conditions.
The black exteriors and delicate legs of the individual cabins blend in with the understory and disappear among the madrone trunks. A connection to the forest sounds and changing seasons is maintained by the fabric roofs and framed views. This intimacy with nature is juxtaposed with warm interior finishes.
Completed while a project designer at envelopeA+D
status: completed in 2015
design team: douglas burnham (principal), lauren jordan (project designer), grayson holden (project designer), claire bigbie (designer), clarke selman (expeditor)
contractor: insight construction
landscape architect: terremoto
photos: richard barnes
awards: aiasf design awards/honor award/architecture
press: architectural record, t magazine
By opening the space with a diagonal cut from front door to back yard, the layered finishes of a dark Victorian were removed to reveal and enhance the bones of the structure. Finishes left outside of the cut are painted a uniform matte grey. Ancillary zones, bedrooms and baths, are designed as isolated vignettes.
Renovation completed while a project designer at envelopeA+D
status: completed 2014
design team: douglas burnham (principal), lauren jordan (project designer), grayson holden (project designer), claire bigbie (designer), clarke selman (expeditor)
photos: jms
This project was conceived as a love note to douglas fir: its grain, warmth and tactility. With a modest budget the kitchen was opened up to the rest of the house and yard, emphasizing the idea of the kitchen as hearth and heart of the home.
status: completed 2012
casework: ben winslow (MWDB)
photos: rebecca jay
In this renovation of a split level home, a visual connection was established between the main floor and second floor. Blackened steel inlays create scars where walls were removed. The bathroom was reconfigured and the selected materials suggest courtyard characteristics.
Completed while a project designer at envelopeA+D
status: completed 2012
design team: douglas burnham (principal), grayson holden (project manager/designer), lizzie wallack (designer)
photos: joseph perez-green
The open workspace (factory), adjacent kitchen and courtyard comprise the majority of the floor plan for the creative firm. Unconventional materials and comfortable spaces foster a collaborative work environment and embody the firm’s values.
Completed while a project designer at envelopeA+D
status: completed 2012
design team: douglas burnham (principal), grayson holden (project designer), claire bigbie (designer)
metal work: chris french metal
photos: jms, mariko reed
An auxiliary space for John McNeil Studio, a multidisciplinary creative firm, the Annex is both functionally and literally a transformer. The dynamic facade and “lobby” open up or shut down as needed. In its base condition the former warehouse exists as a gallery. A floor to ceiling storage wall extends the length of the space and holds a range of programmatic activators.
Completed while a project designer at envelopeA+D
status: completed 2013
design team: douglas burnham (principal), grayson holden (project manager/designer), claire bigbie (designer)
contractor: insight construction
metal work: chris french metal
photos: jms and mariko reed
Sited on a thickly treed northern hillside, this home’s lot size and property line setbacks left a limited area for the building footprint. On an initial visit to the site it became clear that the view was towards the sky, so the building’s spaces were arranged to be a winding sequence up to that view.
Completed while a project designer at envelopeA+D
status: completed 2008
design team: douglas burnham (principal), grayson holden (project manager/designer)
contractor: insight construction
