5655 Old Ranch

San Gabriel Mountains inspired the design of a midcentury home with a vacation atmosphere. The garage and 6 ft. hedges shield the private world from the street. You enter through the gate in the covered walk and focus on a glimpse of the view through the glass door and the entrance wing. The compact 2 story house straddles a 2 ft. drop on the northern third of the lot at the cliff. The location takes advantage of the view (NNW) and the shade of existing trees (S and W). The wings shade each other. 3 trellis covered patios, soon overgrown with vines, are shady "outdoor living rooms" for the enjoyment of different views, activities and seasons. On hot afternoons, cool air from here enters through hopper windows into the living room, and cross ventilation carries warm air out the kitchen window. For heating and cooling economy the volume of the interior is restrained. The "open feeling" exists in a moderated way, abstaining deliberately from multilevel high spaces or extensive glass areas.The entrance and stair wing acts as an airlock, and sliding doors for air flow control can seal off parts of the house. Both floors are served by separate HVAC units in the roof well, so that just the area in use, less than half the volume, can be climatized.The living room is a family room. The dining room doubles as study. The garage opens to the court for grocery delivery to the kitchen window and for yard maintenance, etc. The well insulated wood frame structure is clad in cedar siding. Interior accent walls and all sloping ceilings are also cedar. Special finishes include the 4 x 8 blue glazed ceramic tile on the ground floor. Stair risers and the fireplace hearth are clad in 4 × 8 charcoal quarry tile. Kitchen and bathroom floors are cushioned sheet vinyl. Interior doors and cabinets are birch, hand rubbed with oil stain and protected with varnish. Cabinet doors and drawer fronts have hidden finger grooves instead of pulls and hidden self-closing hinges for a clean expression of the overlay wood slabs.The south patio has a built-in cooking counter. There is a storage cabinet on the balcony above.The 2 story arrangement yielded articulated private open spaces such as the orchard along the covered walk, the court under the old tree, lawn for volleyball, quiet ornamental garden on the view side, 3 patios and beautiful vistas from every living space in the house.The property is irrigated with a water saving drip system.The house reflects the owners' appreciation of nature