A contemporary home in Los Angeles by Quinn Architects makes the most of its tranquil surroundings
Located on the site of an existing house, which was demolished to make way for this approximately 15,000 sq ft contemporary villa, Faring Road House is a sophisticated modern home fit for its glamorous location in Los Angeles' Bel Air neighbourhood. Designed by East London-based architecture firm Quinn Architects, headed by Laurence Quinn, the house sits on a generous sloped site looking towards the Hollywood Hills.
Luscious gardens surround the white-rendered property, helping to shield it from prying eyes. Its tranquil surroundings were in fact one of the key elements that informed the team's design decisions. Say the architects: 'A detailed soil survey was commissioned to understand the below-ground condition of the hillside, which then became a catalyst for both the architectural, civil and structural design'. Now, the home's carefully landscaped gardens include a tennis court and a sunken gym.
A dramatic route leads the visitor up from the street entrance to the building's front door. A cascading stone staircase guides to the house. It highlights 'a sense of arrival', explain the architects. The considerably-sized structure is spread across three floors, peering from the site's natural slope, white-walled and lined with contrasting dark American black walnut flooring inside.
The high-ceilinged interior features living, kitchen and dining areas, three bedrooms, walk-in wardrobes, office space and a games room. The main living accommodation spans 7,000 sq ft, which is matched by 6,500 sq ft of open terraces that include an infinity pool and jacuzzi. Large openings overlook the terraces, while a guest suite located next to the main house offers an extra three bedrooms.
A key point in the client's brief was for the house to accommodate the display of a significant art collection, which made the strategic use of light seminal to the architectural solution. Employing skylights, clerestory windows and gallery level lighting, Quinn and his team have created a space with the right balance of natural and artificial lighting, a perfect home environment for their art-savvy client.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Glenn Martens is headed to Maison Margiela as the house’s new creative director
The former Y/Project designer and current Diesel creative director will replace John Galliano, who exited the Maison Margiela in late 2024
By Jack Moss Published
-
Glamping on the Greek riviera: an alternative resort rooted in luxury
We check in at the 91 Athens Riviera; an alternative seaside glamping resort in the Greek capital that is all about relaxed luxury
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Inspired by Robert Mapplethorpe, Saint Laurent’s surprise menswear show captured ‘a menacing, seductive elegance’
Staged at Paris’ Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, Anthony Vaccarello mashed up Rive Gauche elegance with Robert Mapplethorpe-inspired kink for his A/W 2025 Saint Laurent menswear collection
By Jack Moss Published
-
Zaha Hadid Architects’ new project will be Miami’s priciest condo
Construction has commenced at The Delmore, an oceanfront condominium from the design firm founded by the late Zaha Hadid, ZHA
By Anna Solomon Published
-
A West Austin house invites you to commune with nature
Westview Residence by Alterstudio, a West Austin house among trees, makes the most of large windows and open-air decks in a verdant setting
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Apple’s new Miami store employs the principles of biophilic design
Apple’s first mass-timber store connects shoppers to nature while echoing the Art Deco architecture of Miami
By Anna Solomon Published
-
The World Monuments Fund has announced its 2025 Watch – here are some of the endangered sites on the list
Every two years, the World Monuments Fund creates a list of 25 monuments of global significance deemed most in need of restoration. From a modernist icon in Angola to the cultural wreckage of Gaza, these are the heritage sites highlighted
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Reflections from Los Angeles: a local writer's personal account of the LA fires
Architecture writer and local resident Michael Webb reflects on the devastating 2025 Los Angeles fires and offers his personal account of the events of the last two weeks in California
By Michael Webb Published
-
LA Mayor Karen Bass outlines her plan for rebuilding the city
Following the devastating LA wildfires, which have destroyed more than 12,000 structures, the city’s mayor has outlined her plan for reconstruction
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House, a Usonian modernist Michigan gem, could be yours
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Weisblat House in Michigan is on the market – a chance to peek inside the heritage modernist home in the countryside
By Audrey Henderson Published
-
The architectural ashes of the LA fires
Amidst incalculable losses for so many Angelenos we consider the architectural gems lost in the wildfires
By Shonquis Moreno Published