Bob Hale, FAIA, Architect
House of Love, 2011
10328 Cresta Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Conceived by RIOS (formerly Rios Clementi Hale Studios) partner Bob Hale as his family’s own home, House of Love (Beit Ha-Ahava) is both domestic architecture and manifesto: a study in permeability, authorship, and the expressive potential of building envelope.
Set on a hillside in Cheviot Hills, the 5-bedroom, 4-bath home is organized as a series of interlocking volumes structured around light and sectional movement. The plan privileges continuity over spectacle — open living and dining areas extend directly to the garden through floor-to-ceiling sliders, establishing a calibrated dialogue between interior space and landscape.
The upper level is wrapped in a veil of perforated, corrugated aluminum panels etched with the word ahava (love). Operable and finely detailed, the screen functions simultaneously as brise-soleil, privacy scrim, and conceptual armature. Throughout the day, shifting light animates the interiors, casting patterned shadows that register time and orientation.
Material choices are restrained and deliberate: smooth plaster, aluminum, glass, and wood compose a tactile but disciplined palette. The Poggenpohl kitchen integrates seamlessly into the main living volume. Upstairs, the primary suite is conceived as a quiet retreat, with filtered light and garden outlooks. A lower level with separate access accommodates guest rooms, studio, or work space, reinforcing the home’s flexibility.
Landscape operates as extension rather than backdrop — native meadow planting in front, a lap pool and spa to the rear — continuing the project’s exploration of enclosure and openness.
Widely published, including coverage in The New York Times, the house occupies a distinctive position within contemporary Los Angeles residential architecture: personal in origin, rigorous in execution, and unapologetically architectural.
5 Bedrooms
3.5 Bathrooms
5,319 Square Feet
6,589 Sq. Ft. Lot
$5,295,000
