LOCALLA

Bob Hale, FAIA, Architect | House of Love, 2011. Conceived by RIOS (formerly Rios Clementi Hale Studios) partner Bob Hale as his family's own home, House of Love (Beit Ha-Ahava) is both domestic architecture and manifesto: a study in permeability, authorship, and the expressive potential of building envelope. Set on a hillside in Cheviot Hills, the 5-bedroom, 4-bath home is organized as a series of interlocking volumes structured around light and sectional movement. The plan privileges continuity over spectacle open living and dining areas extend directly to the garden through floor-to-ceiling sliders, establishing a calibrated dialogue between interior space and landscape. The upper level is wrapped in a veil of perforated, corrugated aluminum panels etched with the word ahava (love). Operable and finely detailed, the screen functions simultaneously as brise-soleil, privacy scrim, and conceptual armature. Throughout the day, shifting light animates the interiors, casting patterned shadows that register time and orientation. Material choices are restrained and deliberate: smooth plaster, aluminum, glass, and wood compose a tactile but disciplined palette. The Poggenpohl kitchen integrates seamlessly into the main living volume. Upstairs, the primary suite is conceived as a quiet retreat, with filtered light and garden outlooks. A lower level with separate access accommodates guest rooms, studio, or work space, reinforcing the home's flexibility. Landscape operates as extension rather than backdrop native meadow planting in front, a lap pool and spa to the rear continuing the project's exploration of enclosure and openness. Widely published, including coverage in The New York Times, the house occupies a distinctive position within contemporary Los Angeles residential architecture: personal in origin, rigorous in execution, and unapologetically architectural.