Stunning “Hillside” Los Angeles Mansion by SAOTA

ByJon Dykstra Houses, Luxury Homes

Hillside at Los Angeles by SAOTA.

SAOTA has done it again and that is created another truly stunning house.

In order to come up with the very specific design ideas, we create most designs with the assistance of state-of-the-art AI interior design software.

SAOTA’s Hillside home in Los Angeles is a stunning architectural marvel located on a promontory just one over from Pierre Koenig’s landmark Stahl House. This 20,000 square foot estate offers 300-degree views over the LA skyline and the city basin below, creating a self-contained oasis in the heart of the city. The largely open-plan interior and seamless indoor/outdoor living spaces are in keeping with SAOTA’s extensive experience in developing modern architecture appropriate to their base in Cape Town, South Africa. The Hillside home reconnects contemporary LA architecture with a somewhat lost aspect of its modernist heritage, making it a must-see for architecture enthusiasts.

Photos

The exterior of the house has wood planks to regulate sun light and exposed concrete walls.
The exterior of the house has wood planks to regulate sun light and exposed concrete walls.

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Address plate of the house with faded design.
Address plate of the house with faded design.
The entrance has a concrete walkway and a garage on the ground floor.
The entrance has a concrete walkway and a garage on the ground floor.
Beside the garage is the doorway to the house that blends well with the wall.
Beside the garage is the doorway to the house that blends well with the wall.
The house has a series of living rooms connected to terraces giving comfort with the magnificent view of the surrounding.
The house has a series of living rooms connected to terraces giving comfort with the magnificent view of the surrounding.
The house features a sunken living room with a fireplace that overlooks the city view.
The house features a sunken living room with a fireplace that overlooks the city view.
The ceiling lights in the living room add dramatic effect all over the place.
The ceiling lights in the living room add dramatic effect all over the place.
The dining room overlooks the city view, and the carpet blends perfectly with the marble table giving off an abstract feel.
The dining room overlooks the city view, and the carpet blends perfectly with the marble table giving off an abstract feel.
The kitchen features a bi-level kitchen island, and the golden ceiling lights give a luxurious effect.
The kitchen features a bi-level kitchen island, and the golden ceiling lights give a luxurious effect.
Beside the kitchen is a dinette overlooking the mountain view.
Beside the kitchen is a dinette overlooking the mountain view.
The zigzag stairs leading to the upper floors are designed with artwork and wall lights.
The zigzag stairs leading to the upper floors are designed with artwork and wall lights.
The wooden table and walls give the study room a cozy atmosphere.
The wooden table and walls give the study room a cozy atmosphere.
The bedroom is surrounded by glass walls to showcase the city view.
The bedroom is surrounded by glass walls to showcase the city view.
The master bedroom features a bedroom bench and a sofa for relaxation.
The master bedroom features a bedroom bench and a sofa for relaxation.

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The house has a large bathroom and features a sunken bathtub.
The house has a large bathroom and features a sunken bathtub.
Outdoor is the pool that goes throughout the living rooms and patio.
Outdoor is the pool that goes throughout the living rooms and patio.
At night the wooden deck along the swimming pool is lit, giving off a magnificent effect outdoors.
At night the wooden deck along the swimming pool is lit, giving off a magnificent effect outdoors.
The deck features sun loungers for relaxation overlooking the city view.
The deck features sun loungers for relaxation overlooking the city view.
View of the living room from the swimming pool.
View of the living room from the swimming pool.
The landscape of plants serves as a fence for the swimming pool.
The landscape of plants serves as a fence for the swimming pool.

Blueprints

Location plan for the house.
Location plan for the house.
Floor plan of the ground floor.
Floor plan of the ground floor.
Floor plan of the first floor.
Floor plan of the first floor.
Floor plan of the second floor.
Floor plan of the second floor.
Floor plan of the roof.
Floor plan of the roof.
Elevation plan of the house.
Elevation plan of the house.

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Elevation plan of the house with direction.
Elevation plan of the house with direction.
Cross section of the house.
Cross section of the house.

The Team and Specifications

Project Location: Los Angeles, USA
Lead Designers: SAOTA
SAOTA Project Team: Mark Bullivant, Philip Olmesdahl, Alwyn De Vos, Eugene Olivier & Conrad Martin
Architect of Record: WOODS+DANGARAN
Project Manager: Park Lane Projects
Contractor: Fortis Development
Landscaping: Chris Sosa
Lighting Design: Lux Populi
Interior Designer: MASS Beverly               
Furnished by: MASS Beverly & Minotti LA
Artwork: Creative Art Partners
Property Agents: Oppenheim Group & Bond Street Partners
Photographer: Adam Letch
Copy by: Graham Wood

Details

SAOTA’s Hillside home in Los Angeles is located immediately above Sunset Boulevard on a promontory just one over from Pierre Koenig’s landmark Stahl House. The site is a 20,000 square foot estate, featuring 300-degree views over the LA skyline and the city basin below, and the design was conceived of more as a self-contained oasis rather than a conventional house.

The Stahl House served as a key point of departure. The forms and articulation of Hillside’s roof planes, which were pushed as far forward as possible so that they could create meaningful external covered living spaces, set its architecture in dialogue with the iconic silhouette nearby and connect it to the drama of its context.

The projecting eaves and soffits create a “fifth” façade proved fortuitous in creating a sense of identity because the wraparound perimeter views necessitated the carefully controlled placement of solid walls and extensive use of glass to maximise the panoramic potential of the site. Consequently, the architecture is defined through the floating, overlapping horizontal floor and roof plates curating specific view axes rather than mass walls or external structure.

The steep approach from below resulted in a dramatic entrance through a top-lit central atrium – rising via a 12-car underground garage and an indoor waterfall cascading into a courtyard – before surfacing into the centre of the living level in a dramatic moment of revelation as a dead-on view of downtown LA opens up. The programme is arranged around this focal view, loosely forming two wings, one oriented east-west, and the other north-south. The largely open-plan interior, in the absence of mass walls, has been articulated vertically and through volumetric changes to rationalise the layout.

References to modernist construction techniques are picked up in the articulation of the steel columns and the sensuous and tactile use of timber and limestone on the floors and wall, which is carried extensively throughout the interior and exterior detailing. Some of the identifying features such as the cut-outs in the roof have been reprised in the detailing of the interior ceilings to add interest.

In keeping with SAOTA’s extensive experience in developing seamless indoor/outdoor open-plan living spaces appropriate to their base in Cape Town, South Africa, where the Mediterranean climate and topography are very similar to that in LA, they conceived of the programme as a series of living rooms connected to extensive covered outdoor terraces. These outdoor spaces are in turn enclosed by a vast undulating infinity pool and lush landscaping along the perimeter, subtly screening neighbouring properties (and ensuring their privacy) with climbing ficus trees.

In keeping with the principles taken from the Stahl House and the ground-breaking Los Angeles Case Study Houses, which were built between 1945 and 1966, the generous allocation of outdoor space maximises the potential of the liveable climate, reconnecting contemporary LA architecture with a somewhat lost aspect of its modernist heritage.

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Jon Dykstra
Jon Dykstra

Jon practiced law before launching his online publishing career, bringing analytical rigor to everything he builds. Home Stratosphere combines that precision with a lifelong obsession with residential design — architecture, interiors, landscape, and furniture.

His current focus is AI-driven design analysis, using artificial intelligence to study patterns in color, layout, and material choice across thousands of homes. His Personality Type Home Design Guide applies personality frameworks to interior aesthetics, helping readers design spaces that reflect how they actually think and live.

His favorite piece on the site is the 25 Most Popular Designs, is a daily-updated ranking of the top designs over the last 30 days, driven entirely by visitor activity. The feedback is invaluable for understanding what resonates most with readers. LinkedIn

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