Hillside Contemporary
Carving a glass and steel residence into a seven percent grade.
Carving a glass and steel residence into a seven percent grade.
The Laidlaw family purchased a sloped lot in the Camarillo hills with a west facing view of the Channel Islands. The parcel rose sixteen feet over a hundred and twenty foot run. Every neighbor on the street had leveled their site and built a conventional two story. The clients wanted the opposite: a residence that stepped with the grade, preserved the view, and read as one coherent volume rather than stacked boxes.
We designed a three volume split level that drops four feet between each wing. The entry occupies the middle elevation with the living wing stepping down to the west and the sleeping wing stepping up to the east. Floor to ceiling glass runs the entire western facade, protected by a deep brise soleil and operable exterior shades. A partially buried concrete foundation lets the lower wing sit closer to the ground than any permit jurisdiction typically allows. We negotiated the setback variance with the county planning department over a four month process.
The home passed rough inspection with zero corrections. The owners moved in fifteen months after we broke ground. The Laidlaws report their monthly cooling bill is less than their old Ventura bungalow despite the home being twice the size. Title 24 performance came in at 22 percent below the baseline. The project was featured in Ventura County Magazine in the fall 2025 issue.
David is the only designer we spoke to who listened more than he talked. Every idea in this house started with a conversation.Sarah Laidlaw · Homeowner
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