MILWOOD AVENUE

TYPE: RESIDENTIAL 

SIZE: 3,757 SQ FT 

LOCATION: VENICE, CA  

STATUS: COMPLETED 

PROJECT TEAM: COLBY MAYES, TREVOR KIDD 

COLLABORATORS: BRICY COMPANY INC. (STRUCTURE), GOLD LION CONSTRUCTION INC. (GENERAL CONTRACTOR), KUSKIN MAY (INTERIOR DESIGN) 

Located in heart of the Venice neighborhood, the Milwood Residence is a 3,700 square foot single family home that embodies California living. Flexibility, practicality, comfort, and spaciousness were all in the brief, as well as natural connections to the surrounding neighborhood. 

The approach was to  create and open floor plan in which the sense of separation between interior and exterior space is minimized. This allows the occupants to move freely between common spaces and extend the sense of space to pool and private garden spaces as well as vertically via a central circulation 'void' to the roof deck where occupants have panoramic views of the Venice skyline and Santa Monica mountains. 

The 'void' is achieved via a custom operable skylight which fills the space and allows access to the roof deck. This solved a common architectural problem common to some homes in the area. Many homes in Venice have roof decks, however, the code only allows a small amount of space to extend above the height limit in order the allow a stair to reach the roof. The result are homes scattered throughout Venice whose overall massing appears to be wearing the same ugly hat. The design of the Milwood Residence solved this, and allowed the house to remain true to the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood.  Creating a home which maintains that character through communication and community outreach in Venice were of the utmost importance throughout the design process. 

The home demonstrates how thoughtful, straightforward design and creative problem solving can not only create a positive impact on the daily lives of those who live within, but also on the surrounding community.