Created for an East Coast-based client who likes to entertain when in town, Breeze Blocks is a Beverly Hills house conceived to show off its contemporary architecture, variety of living spaces, and long, striking Los Angeles views. Its architects, locally based Kovac Design Studio, founded by Michael Kovac, made the most of the brief, crafting a home that effortlessly unites inside and outside, opening up to the vistas through large windows, glass walls and strategic orientation that allows life to spill out to the residence’s manicured garden.
‘[The clients] were seeking to take maximum advantage of the jetliner views and welcoming Mediterranean climate. The neighbourhood’s low-slung modern homes with their cool and evocative detailing that harkened back to the Mad Men-era were to be the aesthetic touchstone for the project,’ the architects explain.
A Beverly Hills house uniting inside and outside
The project’s eponymous breeze blocks – in white concrete that is coloured golden inside – define its identity, appearing as soon as visitors approach the house, flanking the approach to the main door. Their permeable nature means that glimpses of what comes beyond are visible, yet not much is revealed of the goings-on inside, maintaining the owners’ privacy. The openings also allow air to travel through, cooling down the site.
Inside, natural materials including terrazzo floors, bleached oak wood panels, and textured limestone walls make up a palette of subtle luxury and serenity. Soft colour tones ensure nothing distracts from the striking views, while carefully curated art and centrepiece elements enliven the interior. Bespoke features abound in this Beverly Hills house, including the customised breeze block screens; a terrazzo tub; and a Burle-Marx-inspired custom mosaic glass panel in the entrance area.
‘The sun sinks into the blue Pacific and the twinkling infinite carpet of city lights unfolds,’ the architects say. ‘There is no better place to take this all in – an oasis in the sky.’
Information
-
What is the role of fragrance in contemporary culture, asks a new exhibition at 10 Corso ComoMilan concept store 10 Corso Como has partnered with London creative agency System Preferences to launch Olfactory Projections 01
-
Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-upJack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
-
Designer Marta de la Rica’s elegant Madrid studio is full of perfectly-pitched contradictionsThe studio, or ‘the laboratory’ as de la Rica and her team call it, plays with colour, texture and scale in eminently rewarding ways
-
This Rocky Mountains house is a ski-lover's dream escapeBozeman, a Rocky Mountains house by Pearson Design Group and Frederick Tang Architecture, is a contemporary retreat that sits low in its natural, Montana setting
-
Take a deep dive into The Palm Springs School ahead of the region’s Modernism WeekNew book ‘The Palm Springs School: Desert Modernism 1934-1975’ is the ultimate guide to exploring the midcentury gems of California, during Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025 and beyond
-
A wavy roof tops this sophisticated take on a backyard cabin in CaliforniaThis Californian Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) by Spiegel Aihara Workshop (SAW), offers an aesthetic and functional answer to housing shortages and multigenerational family living
-
Palm Springs Modernism Week 2025: let the desert architecture party beginPalm Springs Modernism Week 2025 launches on 13 February, marking the popular annual desert event’s 20th anniversary, celebrated this year through more midcentury marvels than ever
-
On the shores of Discovery Bay, this wooden house is the ultimate waterside retreatDekleva Gregorič’s Discovery Bay House is a structured yet organic shelter that blends perfectly into the surrounding Pacific Northwest landscape
-
The 10 emerging American Midwest architects you need to knowWe profile 10 emerging American Midwest architects shaking up the world of architecture - in their territory, and beyond
-
A light-filled New York loft renovation magics up extra space in a deceptively sized homeThis New York loft renovation by local practice BOND is now a warm and welcoming apartment that feels more spacious than it actually is
-
Inside Bell Labs, the modernist vision behind Severance's minimalist settingWe explore the history of Bell Labs - now known as Bell Works - the modernist Eero Saarinen-designed facility in New Jersey, which inspired the dystopian minimalist setting of 'Severance'
