Glenalbyn ‘Jenga’ Residence
Los angeles, CA
a little background
Project Information
The Jenga House design began in September 2018. The client is a professional dentist by day, and small-scale real estate developer by night. Located in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Los Angeles, this complex hillside infill single-family residence lifts up away from the steep terrain, with building components jutting out of the earth much like the game of Jenga.
The program is approximately 3,780 sf, 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms, a roof deck, and an elevator serving all 3 floors as well as the roof.
Property Stats
3780
3 bedrooms
3 baths
3 floors
all the details
Project Site Plan


a natural beauty
Project Challenges
Site constraints drove the massing and the building materials are meant to characterize the natural beauty of the place and to celebrate the massive structure needed to build on such a challenging topography.
simplicity at its best
Building Materials
The building materials chosen for the residence are simple: board-formed concrete, stucco, and wood rain screen siding.
A standing seam metal roof is used on the second floor, and the open roof deck uses Pli-Dek finish to create an additional 1,500 sf of living space.


buried in the hillside
Ground Level
The first floor and garage level is buried in the hillside, with a 3-car garage, storage, and a grand entry space that is open to the roof level, offering natural light from 3 sides and suggests how the house opens up and lifts away from the earth.
wide open spaces
Second Floor
The second floor is completely open, tucking away the service areas to the back of the house against the hillside. The feature glass wall separating the stair tower from the main space also acts as a wine storage wall.


beautiful views
Third Floor
The third floor has 3 large bedrooms and bathrooms, with skylights open to the roof. The master bedroom and bedroom 2 provide gas fireplaces, with a dual-view fireplace shared between the master bedroom and master bath.
the key feature
Roof Deck
The roof deck is the key feature of the home, with 360 degree views of the hills and the neighborhood. Gas fire pits, a built-in barbecue and seating areas, and movie theatre in the back taking advantage of the structural wall supporting the house at the rear.

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Ready To Build Something?
Let's discuss what you have in mind for your next project and how we might be able to help.
YSL ARCHITECTURE
We are a full-service architecture firm based in Hawthorne, CA. We offer residential, commercial, and tenant improvement services with an emphasis on sustainable design to clients in the state of California.
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