PPAA sculpts its los angeles home 'mar vista' with curves and carved voids

PPAA brings a minimalist home to los angeles

Mar Vista is a single-family residence by PPAA / Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados located in a suburban neighborhood near the coast in Los Angeles, California. The house engages monolithic geometries through the interplay of straight and curved lines. With large openings throughout each building, the project lends a measured tension across elevations and interior volumes that registers immediately from the street.

The site contains an existing configuration organized around a central rectangular mass and two patios positioned front and back. The intervention works through subtraction within the maximum permitted envelope. Calculated voids and carved to redistribute space around these outdoor rooms while preserving the original footprint logic.

the residence sits within a coastal suburban fabric in Los Angeles | image © Luis Garvan

mar vista: a home carved by voids

The architects at PPAA cut large openings through the plan of Mar Vista to establish long sectional views that extend from the front patio to the rear garden. Interior rooms register these voids as continuations of lived space, with glazing and circulation aligned to maintain visual and spatial continuity across the lot.

This configuration responds to the coastal climate through generous apertures and shaded transitions. Air movement, daylight, and vegetation shape the daily experience of the house, with patios operating as active spatial centers rather than residual exterior zones.

the house is organized around front and rear patios | image © Luis Garvan

a house divided between two buildings

Mar Vista’s main facade is defined by a curved roof profile that PPAA designs to reframe the familiar gable within local planning constraints. Entry occurs from the side, leaving the front elevation open toward the patio through large panes of glass that expose interior depth without ornamental emphasis.

Programming is distributed across two buildings. The main house rises two levels, accommodating shared spaces below and private rooms above, while a separate single-story structure at the rear provides an independent suite with its own amenities.

Inside, finishes rely on a restrained palette of oak, polished concrete, and light-toned surfaces. Along the exterior, striated plaster brings a tactile grain that catches light and shadow across the curved surfaces. This austere finish gives Mar Vista a quiet visual character within the neighborhood.