{"id":192804,"date":"2022-01-27T17:21:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T22:21:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=192804"},"modified":"2023-12-14T19:04:01","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T00:04:01","slug":"oppenheim-architecture-designs-a-malibu-marvel","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/oppenheim-architecture-designs-a-malibu-marvel\/","title":{"rendered":"Oppenheim Architecture Designs a Malibu Marvel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Another
Another vignette, this based on curves.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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January 27, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Edie Cohen<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Mike Helfrich<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Oppenheim Architecture Designs a Malibu Marvel<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Talk about a dream house. For contemporary design lovers, a Chad Oppenheim<\/a> residence beach front in Malibu is the ne plus ultra. No dream at all, it\u2019s the real thing: a crisp white tri-level dwelling on Escondido Beach not far from the city\u2019s Point Dune. Perhaps the best part? It\u2019s a spec project and as yet is still up for first dibs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With studios in Miami and Basel, Oppenheim Architecture has certainly made its mark world-wide. Commissioned homes come to mind first, and they\u2019ve touched down in such far-flung locales as Caracas, Venezuela; the Bahamas; Aspen; Oberwil, Switzerland outside of Basel; and, of course, Miami Beach. For an exotic getaway, check into the Emiliano Rio at Rio de Janeiro\u2019s famed Copacabana Beach and further afield keep an eye on progress at the Desert Rock eco-tourist complex set within a landscape of caves and crevices in Saudi Arabia. For a seaside meal, reserve a table at Forte dei Marmi, the restaurant not in the much-loved Tuscan town, but closer to home in a 1938 building in Miami\u2019s South Beach. Commercial work fills the portfolio, too. All this by way of introduction to Oppenheim\u2019s own introduction to speculative work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The tri-level house sits surfside on Malibu\u2019s Escondido Beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m always putting myself as the person experiencing any project,\u201d says the Cornell-educated architect and recipient of the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Museum\u2019s national design award for interior design. \u201cI design around the feelings I want to create for the end-user or the greatest common denominator of end users.\u201d Thus, he responds to the obvious initial query of differences between commissioned and speculative work. \u201cWith a custom home for a client, I\u2019m more in a dialogue. With a spec house, I\u2019m in a dialogue with myself, and these dialogues are more abbreviated. There\u2019s one less participant discussing pros and cons.\u201d Vast experience helps. \u201cDoing so many homes for end users helps us understand what the eventual owner would want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this case, it would be, of course, sweeping views of sea and coastline, celebration of daylight, open space inside, and dematerialization between indoors and out. \u201cMalibu is one of my favorite places on the planet,\u201d Oppenheim enthuses. In terms of natural beauty, \u201cit has it all, which generates a lifestyle, atmosphere, vibe, and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Retractable
Retractable glass at side and front opens the interior to wraparound terrace and adjacent garden.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thoughts and feelings turned concrete in the complete renovation of this \u201cfaux Mediterranean\u201d dating to the 1980s. Encompassing 7,160 square feet, the dwelling is now organized with a contiguous living, dining, kitchen expanse on the main level, its 74-foot-long glazed front completely retractable. Same for the glass side opening onto a terrace and adjacent garden, the generous outdoor space a contrast to many of the tight confines of, say, the Malibu Colony. Elsewhere, corners are cut away and glazed as well, giving views as far as the eye could see. To add a bit of definition to this common living space and set the stage for three seating groups, Oppenheim raised it three steps up at the entry. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like theater,\u201d he says of the procession. Meanwhile, the home\u2019s lower level is designated as the entertainment area, while the upper accommodates four bedrooms with en-suite baths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Surf,
Surf, sand, and horizon as far as the eye can see. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The sea and sunsets are not the only spectacle. Indoor drama comes from the generous spiral stairway as tri-level connector. The pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance, it is steel framed, fabricated in pieces, and was plastered on site during assembly. Replacing three in the house\u2019s previous incarnation, the element is one example of Oppenheim\u2019s \u201csearch for the essential.\u201d  Elsewhere, \u201cwe found additional floor space by combining hallways into rooms.\u201d All in service of a \u201cclean line floor plan.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Landscaping
Landscaping flanks the entry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Materials are strictly minimal, natural, and pervasive. That means travertine, oak, and mineral plaster. Furnishings, though staged, are beckoning white pieces that Oppenheim himself might have chosen. Ditto for art works. As for the eventual owner, Oppenheim waxes poetic: \u201cWhoever lives here will be incredibly happy.\u201d So will the architect. As follow-up, he\u2019s designing two more Malibu homes, one for an end-user, the other speculative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"At
At grade, the main living level combines kitchen, dining, and lounge seating.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"One
One of three seating vignettes faces the gas fireplace.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A
A raised section helps articulate the living zone.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Another
Another vignette, this based on curves.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Custom
Custom kitchen cabinetry is oak and travertine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The stairway spirals through all three levels. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The main bedroom is one of four on the top level.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"All
All custom, the main bath is oak and travertine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Wine
Wine storage is part of the lower level\u2019s entertainment space.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n