Brookside’s Bridge House unveiled after two years of construction
BRIDGE HOUSE extends 210 feet over a 15,000 square foot lot, allowing the structure to “bridge” a natural brook for 65 feet.
Local architect Dan Brunn, AIA, opened up to guests his long-awaited “Bridge House” in Brookside last month at an official unveiling.
The 4,500-square-foot home was designed to quite literally bridge 65 feet over the natural brook that gives the neighborhood its name.
At the Oct. 22 event, which marked completion of two years of construction, Brunn showcased to guests the realization of his vision to build “something extraordinary with ordinary means.”
The result, according to Brunn, is a specific approach to development with a unique use of space: “By and large, the idea for the house was to create a kind of modesty that’s connected to nature,” Brunn told the Chronicle.
VISIBLE from the street is only a modest motor court behind a corrugated Corten steel fence and gate.
From the street, only a relatively small garage and motor court are visible, with the rest of the house stretching 210 feet toward the back of the 15,000 square-foot lot.
“You can’t really see the house from the front,” said Brunn, who was originally inspired by the elongated motor court of the Vanderbilts’ iconic Breakers property in Newport, R.I. Starting with an idea for a visible motor court, Brunn says that the bridge shape evolved from there: “I could go right over the river instead of basing the whole house on one side.”
Brunn told the Chronicle that he has a strong opinion on the debate to adopt an Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (HPOZ) in Brookside: “Someone could demolish this house [under HPOZ rules] and build a three-story new build that looks old, but that would be a lot more intrusive to the neighborhood than this house, which is modern and unseen.”
In fact, Brunn says that that was part of the challenge for him. Instead of focusing on how big he could build a house, he built something smaller and more interesting: “Again, a kind of modesty that’s connected to nature.”
The exterior of the house is clad in a muted cedar outfitted with custom floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the wooded landscape surrounding the home.
ARCHITECT Dan Brunn unveiled his Bridge House in Brookside at an Oct. 22 event.
Upon entering the home, guests first encounter the living room, which features open skylights and a “Living Wall” of plants designed by Habitat Horticulture. The kitchen and dining areas display impressive wooden cabinetry, quartz countertops and Bosch appliances, and they open onto a porch with wide glass doors. Moving deeper, guests enter the “private space” areas of the home, which feature a master suite, an office, two guest bedrooms and a below-grade pool house, complete with a kitchen, music room and outdoor grill area. Canadian furniture company EQ3 furnished the home. It was built by Modaa Construction.
Although Brunn plans to use the house as his residence, the property also will be used to showcase a variety of events and art exhibits, including a temporary show during the next “Frieze Los Angeles” in February.
“I love this neighborhood, and I’m happy to be a part of it,” Brunn told us.
Category: Real Estate
