OFFICE 5

A typical Californian bungalow in Venice Beach was to undergo a transformation into a furniture shop and an occasional home for the shop owner. Rather than fragmentary alterations, a single intervention ignores the existing architecture and its peculiarities. A grid of fluorescent strip lighting is inserted at the same height over the entire site, encompassing both interior and exterior as a single space. This surface of lights becomes a horizontal datum that defines the ground floor as the furniture shop and the mezzanine as the sleeping area. The open ground floor, where only the bathroom is enclosed, is organised by an array of furniture for sale or for occasional private use. A series of reflective curtains negotiate the levels of privacy and exposure, allowing for the greatest flexibility of use.