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JOHN BROWN is the editor of theslowhome.com and the founder of the Slow Home Movement. He is a registered architect, real estate broker and Professor of Architecture at the University of Calgary.
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Creating Unity
Front Facade
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Outdoor Living Space
Open Living Space
View From the Second Floor
Bedroom
View to Second Level
Stair Detail
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With the Nikol house addition and renovation we transformed a previously dark, cramped and jumbled space into a light, airy and unified home. Working with an industrious client who undertook much of the physical labor himself, we were able to maximize a miniscule budget to recreate and enliven every space.
Set on a hillside lot in Mar Vista, the addition of a second story master suite and indoor/outdoor living spaces takes full advantage of ocean and nature views and opens up the house with a central double height space. The second story loft and expansive deck open to below create an architectural interplay between the two interior levels and the outdoors.
A broad two-story entry connects the two wings of the house as well as the site’s front and rear outdoor spaces. Natural light, prevailing ocean breezes, views and circulation all flow linearly through the transparent sliding glass doors at the entry, rear and upper deck.
The entire house is integrated under a floating upwardly sloping butterfly roof that serves as both a poetic gesture (the house appears to reach skyward) and a functional mechanism (increased access to light and air). The warm wood on the ceiling and eaves contrasts with the coolness of the gray metal fascia, metal siding and gray plaster base.
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We believe that our homes and neighborhoods should be healthy, vibrant places that uplift the spirit and gracefully fit our needs. We call for an end to poor construction, bad design, misleading marketing, unfair lending practices and environmental neglect in the housing industry. We acknowledge our collective responsibility to create CLOSE, SIMPLE, LIGHT places to live that leave a positive legacy for future generations.
provides design focused information that homeowners can use to improve the quality of how and where they live. It takes its name from the slow food movement which arose as a reaction to the processed food industry. The sprawl of cookie cutter housing that surrounds us is like fast food - standardized, homogenous, and wasteful. It contributes to a too fast life that is bad for us, our cities, and the environment. In the same way that slow food raises awareness of the food we eat and how these choices affect our lives, Slow Home empowers you to take more control of your home and improve the quality of how you live while reducing your environmental impact and futureproofing the long term investment value of your home.
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