The Saddle Peak Residence Situated in the Santa Monica Mountains

Saddle Peak Residence is located in the Santa Monica Mountains, sandwiched between Malibu and Calabasas on an acre of land. Designed by AUX Architecture, the project consisted of a major renovation to the original tract home while working with strict building guidelines. New restrictions required the architects to stay within the existing footprint which presented a number of challenges along the way.

The original home had a closed off floor plan with lots of small, dark rooms. The interior was opened up along with added windows and doors to let the natural light in and to enhance the surrounding views. A connection between the indoors and out was formed, especially at one end of the house that opens up to the pool and patio.

The exterior is clad in a combination of dark standing seam metal and vertical cedar panels which continue on into the interior.

Sustainable features were incorporated, like solar panels, thermal panels that heat the pool, and a thermally coupled HVAC system, to help keep the residence off-the-grid for the most part.

The landscaping includes drought tolerant plants throughout the property, helping to save on water usage.

While the homeowners have owned the property since the 1990s, they only decided to change things up in 2015 once their kids had moved out. After searching for a new house in Malibu, they decided to stay put since they loved the privacy aspects of the property. They desired a completely fresh start so almost everything from the original house was tossed (except for a few important items) and replaced with everything you can imagine, from the appliances to the bedding.

The pool water can be used in the built-in fire suppression system in the case of fires that often plague Southern California.

Photos by Grant Mudford.