Header: Casey Dunn
The Highland Park residence, designed by Alterstudio Architecture, features a three-level design that stands out among the surrounding facilities, most of which are structured in the style of contemporary Tudor mansions and French chateaus. On a property that lacks natural features such as trees, the design presents a private environment for family life and art presentation.
Residence and an art gallery
A new landscape partially conceals the garage, subtly integrating it into the site and guiding movement on the ground. This landscaping shapes the arrival experience, as a pure limestone bar hovers at the building’s edge and bends, forming a private setting. The bar, anchored on one side, cantilevers 35 feet at the entry. The residence is separated from the street by a berm of rocks with native grasses, shrubs, and cactuses, further using landscape to provide privacy and define the property’s boundary.
Behind the private foreground, the gallery building stands alone, designed for the rotating collection of art. The gallery, gallery office, a guest suite, and a pool cabana are housed in a single-story, ivy-covered building separate from the abundant texture and materiality typical of the house and backyard. Spanning the 1,100-square-foot, 14-foot-tall gallery, the space features white walls, a concrete floor, and 3 large skylights.
Double-height living room
As visitors wander through the property, the unexpected dimensions appear. The design of the estate draws visitors horizontally into the landscape, guiding them further into the gallery space. The double-height living room unexpectedly expands into the stone bar above. Equipped with large curved glass panels and massive retracting glass doors, the design draws the visitors away from the room and into the landscape.
Interior design
Raw and refined finishes are used together throughout the space. Mill-finished steel sits alongside carefully designed Indiana limestone panels, while handmade tile and glazed volcanic stone from Guadalajara are paired with walnut cabinetry and stainless-steel fixtures. The ground floor is dominated by the 40-foot-long window wall made of sliding glass doors.
When open, the doors lead to the rear garden defined by a set of colossal concrete terraces. The kitchen and breakfast room are located in the area where the front yard, side alley, and courtyard garden come together. The staircase leads upstairs, where a children’s room and the primary suite are separated by a long gallery.
The book on Highland Park
In 2023, Oscar Riera Ojeda Publishers published a book about the Highland Park residence. Foreword by Robert McCarter and Marlon Blackwell, with photography by Casey Dunn, created within Oscar Riera Ojeda’s Masterpiece Series.
Made for a client with a substantial art collection, the 12,398-square-foot home and gallery provide both a haven for the family and an abstract space for art and social gatherings.
Technical sheet
Alterstudio design team: Kevin Alter, Ernesto Cragnolino, Tim Whitehill
Michael Woodland, Jenna Dezinsk
Architecture: Alterstudio Architecture
Interior Designer: SZProjects
Contractor: Steve Hild, Custom Builder
Landscape: Hocker
Structural Engineer: Ellinwood + Machado Consulting Engineers
Mechanical Engineer: Positive Energy
Civil Engineer: Monk Consulting Engineers
Lighting Consultant: Essential Light Design Studio
Waterproofing Consultant: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.
