By Allison Milionis; Photography by Kenneth Johansson
It’s easy to see why Nancy Louise Jones was attracted to the architectural design of J. Frank Fitzgibbons. A fine artist and photographer, Jones has a penchant for colour, light and sensuous, sculptural forms – all distinctive elements of Fitzgibbons’ oeuvre. So when the artist and her husband, John Diaz, purchased an unusually long and narrow lot in a west Los Angeles neighbourhood, they didn’t hesitate to contact the architect. “There was no question we would work with Frank,” says Jones. “We’d lived in a Santa Monica loft he designed and had loved so many things about it.”
The challenging shape of the lot, measuring 16 by 98 metres, certainly influenced the design. But there were other considerations. Diaz, a former music executive, had sustained permanent damage to his back in a plane crash, affecting his ability to climb stairs, which necessitated living quarters on ground level.
And then there was Jones’s desire for a working studio that would double as a gallery, and an outdoor agility course for her three dogs. The couple also wanted a space conducive to entertaining. “The house needed to achieve a lot but also be livable and relaxing,” Jones says.
To meet this brief, Fitzgibbons devised a rectangular 530-square-metre structure composed of three volumes: a bi-level garage in the front yard; a two-storey studio/gallery occupying the centre; and a single-storey private zone, containing the living area, toward the back. A curbside view offers very little of the residence, as the garage (housing the couple’s cars on the ground level and two guest rooms on the second floor) dominates the front. Here, Fitzgibbons enlivened the appearance with an asymmetrical, wave-front metal roof; he accentuated the dramatic roofline with a copper downspout.
The second volume, containing the studio and a second-floor gallery, is accessible through a small, minimally landscaped courtyard and gathering place. It doubles as a vestibule to the private sanctum of the interior courtyard. This larger outdoor space, connecting to the living quarters, features a selection of water amenities: a lap pool, an open-air shower and a Jacuzzi.
Jones, along with the general contractor, Joseph Campolong, worked closely with Fitzgibbons on the interior details, forming a trio that Jones describes as “amazingly collaborative.” But Fitzgibbons would never see the house completed. In November 2005, less than a year after they broke ground, he passed away. “We just had to power forward,” says Jones. The architect’s untimely death was a blow to everyone involved. Jones assumed the unofficial role of project manager, overseeing the work and integrating a few of her own designs, such as custom cabinetry and a curved kitchen wall with sculptural relief. But Fitzgibbons’ vision wasn’t lost on the team. If anything, they were even more determined to see that the house reflected the sum of his life’s work, which includes mostly single- and multi-family residences featuring voluminous, light-filled spaces and serpentine walls. “He loved this project.
I think it was his favourite,” says Campolong.
