Minarc: Winner of World Design Awards 2021. “The design for the Almar Residence evokes a primary focus on sustainability, functionality and space.” Located in the highly sought after El Medio Bluffs area of Pacific Palisades, California, sits the Almar Residence.

As designers, we view space and function as mutually important factors to consider when creating well-defined and inhabitable areas wherein design elements are oriented to take full advantage of natural light and cross-ventilation. The design for the Almar Residence evokes a primary focus on sustainability, functionality and space.

Featuring three levels with five bedrooms and four and a half baths, one enters through an 18 ft breathtaking glass door to the main floor with high ceilings and a bright, open floor plan. The sliding glass doors from the family and living rooms capture the lush green backyard and are designed to integrate the ease of indoor/outdoor living. The attributes of spaces play a key factor in how the indoor and outdoor experiences connect.

An airy kitchen with skylights allow for natural light to pour in while the blue backsplash is reflective of the nearby Pacific ocean. The polished concrete entryway leads into wood flooring to flow throughout the house and unify the spaces. A floating staircase ascends to the second floor from the main hallway. The Almar residence features separate spaces for each family member that, while private, all revolve around the core of the house. The master suite features a large walk-in closet and open bathroom centered around an oversized tub. A striking second bedroom with floor to ceiling windows and balcony encompass the upper floor, where the lower level provides three additional bedrooms and two bathrooms with an additional living area that opens to the spacious backyard and patio, a perfect space for entertaining guests.

Project Details
Firm
Minarc

Project Name
Almar Residence

Architect/Designer
Minarc

World Design Awards Category
Design Built

Project Location
Pacific Palisades

Team
Erla and Tryggvi

Country
United States

Photography ©Credit
©Art Gray

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Minarc is an award-winning design studio recognized internationally for its modern, innovative, and sustainable design solutions. Inspired by the pure, austere beauty of their native Iceland, principals Erla Dögg Ingjaldsdóttir and Tryggvi Thorsteinsson were drawn to Santa Monica, California and the wide-open spaces and rich light that sustain their vision—one which blurs the line between indoors and outdoors through an abundant use of natural light, creation of exterior living spaces, and incorporation of architecturally captured views of the natural environment. Each Minarc project reveals the principals’ passion for our planet, a concern for its future, and the joy they take in creating eco-conscious spaces in which people can live, work and play.