* 비버리힐즈의 빛, 대지에 박힌 원석 [ Donaldson + Partners ] Fractal-Facade House

"건축은 빛 안에서 빚어지는 형태들의 장엄하고 올바른 유희다."— 르 코르뷔지에 (Le Corbusier)

Donaldson + Partners creates faceted home for lofty site in Beverly Hills

풍경 속에 안착한 빛의 결정체
미국 서부의 따스한 태양 아래, 비버리힐즈 트루스데일 에스테이트(Trousdale Estates) 언덕에는 마치 대지에서 막 캐낸 거대한 원석 같은 건축물이 자리합니다. 미국 건축 스튜디오 도널드슨 앤 파트너스(Donaldson + Partners)가 설계한 '프랙탈 파사드 하우스(Fractal-Facade House)'입니다. 로스앤젤레스 도심과 태평양을 동시에 조망하는 약 8,000제곱미터(2에이커)의 대지 위에 앉혀진 이 집은, 단순한 주거 공간이라기보다 자연의 불규칙함과 수학적 정교함이 공존하는 하나의 거대한 조각품에 가깝습니다.

담론을 잉태하는 기하학적 산실
프로젝트는 금융업에 종사하며 미 동서부를 오가는 건축주의 독특한 의뢰에서 시작되었습니다. 그는 이 집이 단순한 안식처를 넘어, 깊이 있는 대화와 지적 교류가 흐르는 '거대한 담론의 산실'이자 '내밀한 사교의 장(Salon)'이 되길 원했습니다. 이 철학적 화두에 로빈 도널드슨(Robin Donaldson)은 '원석(Gemstone)'이라는 개념으로 답했습니다. 유한한 물체 속에 무한한 프랙탈(Fractal)의 우주를 품은 원석, 그 정교한 수학적 아름다움을 건축의 시각적 원동력으로 삼은 것입니다.

예리하게 세공된 물성, 프랙탈 파사드
건축가는 V자형 평면을 기본으로, 외관 전체를 보석의 세공면처럼 정교하게 꺾인 다면체 패널로 마감했습니다. 덕분에 건물은 빛의 각도에 따라 표정이 바뀌는 깊이감을 얻었습니다. 특히 주목할 점은 소재의 선택입니다. 애초 고려했던 프랑스산 석재 대신, 샌프란시스코에서 제작한 유리섬유 강화 폴리머(GFRP) 패널을 적용했습니다. 오렌지 빛이 감도는 이 패널에는 천연 조개껍질을 배합해, 첨단 소재임에도 자연석에 가까운 묵직한 질감을 생생하게 구현해냈습니다.

드러나지 않음의 미학, 은밀한 시퀀스
약 600평(21,000제곱피트)에 달하는 웅장한 규모지만, 밖에서는 그 압도적인 크기를 가늠하기 어렵습니다. 이웃의 조망권을 위해 건물 높이를 4.3미터(14피트)로 제한한 지역 규제 때문입니다. 건축가는 이를 역이용해 건물을 지형 깊숙이 안착시켰습니다. 덕분에 집은 풍경의 일부처럼 스며들었고, 긴 진입로(Alleé)를 따라 걸어 들어갈 때 비로소 그 은밀하고도 차분한 위용을 드러냅니다.

예술과 삶이 교차하는 공간
중앙 현관을 기점으로 양쪽으로 펼쳐진 두 개의 윙(Wing)은 공용 공간과 사적 공간을 조화롭게 분리합니다. 거실과 다이닝 룸은 중정과 수영장을 품에 안듯 배치해 개방감을 극대화했습니다. 지하층은 성큰 가든(Sunken Courtyard)을 중심으로 영화관, 바, 스파가 유기적으로 연결되며 완벽한 엔터테인먼트 공간을 제공합니다. 니콜 홀리스와 조안 벤크가 완성한 인테리어는 절제된 가구와 풍부한 텍스처로 공간의 밀도를 높였고, 그 사이로 헬렌 프랑켄탈러와 제니 유스카리지의 작품들이 놓여 건축과 예술이 공명하는 삶의 풍경을 완성합니다.
Write by Claude & Jean Browwn

American architecture studio Donaldson + Partners took cues from gemstones to design Fractal Facade House in southern California, which features sculptural walls and a V-shaped floor plan.

The house sits atop a two-acre (0.8 hectare) site in the Trousdale neighbourhood of Beverly Hills. Perched on a hill, the residence looks toward downtown Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.

Donaldson + Partners, based in LA and Santa Barbara, designed the project for a client who works in the financial industry and splits their time between the US East and West coasts.

The client envisioned the house "as not only a home, but an incubator for big conversations and intimate salons".

Working closely with the client, studio founder Robin Donaldson began to draw inspiration from gemstones.

"What if the gemstone with its precise mathematical beauty, its seemingly infinite, fractal possibilities contained within a finite object – could be the conceptual and visual driver for the design?" said Donaldson.

In turn, he and his team conceived a V-shaped home with folds in the exterior facade, giving the building a sculptural look.

"The gemstone motif appears as sharply faceted panels that introduce sculptural depth and angular precision," the team said.

For the cladding, the client was initially interested in French stone, but decided to go for a more local option – glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) panels made in San Francisco. Pieces of natural shell were integrated into the orange-hued panels, resulting in a more natural, stone-like appearance.

Encompassing a total of 21,000 square feet (1951 square metres), the home has one level and a basement.

Local regulations prevented the house from rising higher than 14 feet (4.3 metres), in order to preserve views for neighbours. The lower height enables the home to feel more embedded in the landscape.

The dwelling is accessed via a long alleé, which was made possible by the owner acquiring an adjacent property. The home appears gradually as one approaches.

"The structure initially appears deceptively discreet, an articulated roof cantilevering over a carefully scaled form," the team said.

The primary entrance sits at a central point, which branches into two wings.

The upper level contains a mix of public and private spaces, which hug a courtyard and swimming pool in the rear.

The public zone features an expansive living room, dining area and kitchen, the latter of which can be closed off for parties.

The basement level is organised around a sunken courtyard and holds a 24-seat cinema, a bar, a spa and a gym.

The interior design was overseen by Nicole Hollis and Joan Behnke, who brought in rich textures, neutral colours and restrained furnishings.

"The client's art collection – which includes work by Helen Frankenthaler and Jenny Yuskavage –appears throughout, bringing playfulness and seriousness in equal measure," the team said.

The home also features fractal informed sculptures, which were created in collaboration with the artistic practice Based Upon.

from dezeen